


Yank, or the American Sassenach

by IBelongInScotland



Category: Outlander (TV)
Genre: Community: tv-universe, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Friends to Lovers, I'm Bad At Tagging, Season/Series 03, Season/Series 04
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:21:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 52
Words: 257,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27494152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IBelongInScotland/pseuds/IBelongInScotland
Summary: While on a school trip to Scotland, Skylar visits Craigh na Dun and ends up traveling back to 1766. She is taken in by one Jamie Fraser and is, in turn, sucked into the adventures that await. Relationships are formed, both family and friendship; though maybe more with one "young" lad. Takes place during seasons 3 and 4.ALSO POSTED ON FANFICTION.NET
Relationships: Ian Fraser Murray/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 29
Kudos: 40





	1. Through the Stones

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Outlander or anything related. I only own the characters I create.

CHAPTER 1

“Come on class, up this way,” Mr. Morrison called out to the group of teenagers, not happy to be awake so early.  
“Mr. Morrison, it’s only 2:00 a.m. back home. And jetlag sucks,” one boy called out.  
“We have a lot to see during the one week we have here in Scotland,” he replied. “Which involves getting up before noon.” The entire class groaned.  
Mr. Morrison was the history teacher at Springfield High School, and he had taken a group of Sophomores to Inverness, Scotland during their spring break, since they were currently studying Scottish history. The night before, the group had gone to a tavern to hear traditional Scottish music. One man there named Duncan Graham, known for his knowledge of Scottish lore, had told them all about the stone circles that littered the Scottish Highlands. One in particular he talked about was Craigh na Dun. He told them it was said that people were able to time travel through the stones, but only a chosen few. That’s where they were right now.  
“Here it is lads and lasses, Craigh na Dun,” Mr. Morrison announced. “Feel free to explore on your own but be careful. We don’t wanna have to tell any parents we lost their kids due to time traveling.” The class split off and wandered amongst the stones. Skylar Kelley and her best friend Alana Brown walked off as a pair.  
“What could these have possibly been used for?” Skylar thought out loud.  
“That guy Duncan last night said it’s a mystery. But like, they’re also used for religious ceremonies and rituals.”  
“Okay then smarty,” she teased, rolling her blue eyes. They kept wandering, but silently. After a few minutes, Skylar said, “Do you hear that?”  
“Hear what?”  
“That buzzing.”  
“You need to get your ears checked, girl. There is no buzzing.”  
“It sounds like it’s coming from the middle circle.” The two girls walked towards the middle where the tallest of the stones stood. “You really don’t hear that?”  
Alana shook her head. “Maybe it’s the stones talking to you. Maybe you’re one of the chosen few.” They laughed at that idea.  
Skylar ran her fingers through her dark blonde waves. “I think the exhaustion is getting to me,” she said, though not truly believing it. She stood and stared at the stone, feeling like she was falling into a trance. All of a sudden, she found herself right in front of it, reaching out to it. She was about to touch it when she heard, “Sky!” She snapped out of it and looked. Alana was a good ways away. “C’mon, we’re leaving.”  
“Coming!” She glanced at the stone one more time, then walked away.  
As she laid in her bed that night, she couldn’t sleep. She couldn’t get the stone circle out of her head all day, especially that buzzing.  
Why couldn’t Alana hear it? Did I just imagine it? she thought. She sighed and looked at her phone for the time. It was 6:07 a.m. and the sun was just starting to rise.  
“This is insane,” she said to herself, and then sat up. As quiet as she could, she put on a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt, and sneakers and went to open her door. She looked down the hall to make sure everyone else was still sleeping. Silently, she walked out the door and towards the circle.  
After about 15 minutes, it came into sight. She could hear the buzzing again, but it was very low. She held her necklace charm in her hand. It was a heart with her birthstone in it, which her mother had given her for her birthday before she died. She took a breath and kept walking.  
As she got closer and finally inside the circle, the buzzing got louder and louder until it was almost overwhelming. She stood, staring at the middle circle. It was calling her over to it, and without even realizing it, she slowly started walking towards it. She reached out to it, like she wasn’t in control of her body anymore. And then she touched it.  
What happened to her felt like it lasted half a second but a hundred years at the same time. There was a flash of blinding white light, and she felt like she was being pulled in a million directions. Then, there was darkness. She thought for a moment that she had died. But when she was finally able to open her eyes, she found herself on her back, lying in front of the stone. She sat up and looked around. Everything seemed normal. But when she stood up, she saw there was nothing. Literally nothing. Not even a road. There was grass and hills and forest surrounding her.  
“What the hell?” she said quietly to herself. As she walked down the hill, not knowing what else to do, she tried to rationalize what was happening.  
_I must’ve passed out,_ she thought. _Yeah, yeah, I fainted and now I’m dreaming. That must be it. I just need to wake up._ She pinched herself; she was still there. She pinched herself harder; she whimpered a little from pain, but nothing changed. She had no idea what to do or where she was. Well, she knew she was in Scotland, but had she –  
“No no no no no, she said out loud, stopping her thoughts. “There is no possible way.” She tried to think of any other solution to what had happened. But she couldn’t think of any. She suddenly couldn’t breathe, and she felt like she was going to throw up. She grasped at her chest and, hyperventilating, sat on the ground. She tried to focus on a single object in front of her to stop everything from spinning, but it wasn’t working. She finally was able to catch her breath after many excruciating minutes. She felt something run down her face. She touched her cheek and saw that she had started crying without realizing it. Unsure of what to do, she just sat there with her legs against her chest.  
She didn’t know how long she had sat there when she heard someone say, “Are you alright miss?” She looked up and saw a young man with shoulder length curly black hair on a horse looking down at her. He was wearing what looked like Revolutionary War-era clothes  
“I…I don’t…um…” she tried to speak, but she couldn’t put together a full sentence.  
“Is your family nearby? Do you need help?” She couldn’t quite figure out what his accent was. There was definitely French, but it was like it was mixed with Scottish.  
“I don’t…my-my family…they aren’t here.” She just looked straight ahead, not even blinking. She looked over though when she felt someone sit next to her.  
“Where is your family?” he asked.  
“America.” Which was 100% true.  
“You’re from America?” Skylar nodded. “How did you get here?” She didn’t know how to answer. She just looked back at the stones. The young man followed her gaze, then looked back at her confused.  
“Do you know anyone here?” She shook her head. He thought for a minute, then said, “Why don’t you come with me?”  
“What?”  
“Come with me. I am traveling back to Edinburgh, back to Milord. He will know what to do.” He offered her his hand. She looked at it, then looked back at him, tightening her grasp on her legs. “Trust me, it is not safe for a young lady to be out here by herself. I will protect you.”  
Still not completely sure of what was happening, she took his hand and stood up. He helped her onto his horse and she held tight around him.  
“What is your name by the way,” he asked after they had started riding.  
“Skylar.”  
“It’s nice to meet you, Skylar. My name is Fergus.”


	2. A. Malcolm

CHAPTER 2

Skylar didn’t know how many hours she and Fergus had been riding for, but she could not keep her eyes open. She had just started to drift off leaning against Fergus’ back when he said, “Alright, we’ll make camp here tonight.”  
This snapped her wide awake. “Camp? We’re not able to keep going?”  
“We can’t. The horse is exhausted and it’s getting too dark.” Fergus felt the terrified girl tighten her grasp around his waist. He smiled and said, “Dinna fash, Skylar. Nothing out here will hurt you with me around.” He got off the horse and helped Skylar down. It was then he really got a look at what she was wearing. “I’ve never seen a woman wear pants. Is that regular in America?” he asked.  
“For some,” she answered. The entire ride she argued with herself about whether she should tell him the truth about what had happened to her. She decided against it though. For all she knew, he might think she’s dangerously insane and kill her. She hoped this ‘Jamie’ he told her about would be able to help her.   
Fergus sat her down on a nearby log and began to make a fire. He didn’t know what to make of her. She seemed to have no recollection of how she got here, and she seemed terrified. He, too, hoped Jamie would have answers.   
Once the fire was made, he was able to cook some meat and apples he had brought with him.   
“Are you hungry, Skylar?” he said to the girl. She hadn’t said a word since they got there, just sat hugging herself, staring off into nothing. She didn’t reply. He decided to take action and put some food on a plate for her. He walked over to her and held it out. She didn’t even look at him. “You have to eat. With the excitement I’m sure you’ve gone through you’ll be sick if you don’t eat.”  
Skylar wasn’t sure she’d be able to hold anything down. But the food smelled so good and she couldn’t deny that her stomach was growling. She timidly looked up and took the plate from him. As she did, she glanced at his hand. She noticed it when they first met and couldn’t help but look at it a few times when they were riding. But she didn’t want to ask. Fergus noticed her curiosity though.   
“It’s okay,” he said, sitting back down at his spot across from her. “I’ll tell you what happened. I was just a boy and thought I was being brave when I was just being stupid. I was mocking Redcoats and went too far. And this,” he held up his metal hand prosthesis, “was my punishment.”  
“I’m sorry,” she responded quietly.  
“It was my own fault. Luckily, Milord acted quickly and saved my life.”  
“He’s a good man? Your…Milord?”  
“He’s a great man. He and Milady took me in when I was small and had no one. They were like family to me.”  
“Milady? Is Jamie married?”  
Fergus got quiet and hesitated before answering. “Yes and no. The woman I called Milady was a wonderful beautiful woman named Claire. But after the Battle of Culloden, Claire thought Jamie had died and left. Travelled to America, we heard. No one has heard from her since. But Milord had remarried a number of years ago to a widow with two daughters of her own. The woman, I canna stand her. But her daughters, they make up for her.” He smiled a little at some thought, but he blinked himself back. “Eat up,” he said to his listener. “You’ll need your strength for our day of travelling tomorrow.”   
Slowly, Skylar picked up a piece of the apple and put it in her mouth. Suddenly, she realized how ravenous she was. She had to stop herself from inhaling her food. Now that her hunger was dealt with, she felt the exhaustion of the day hit her like a wave. Fergus took notice of her head falling every so often. He went to the horse and pulled out a couple blankets. He balled one up into a pillow and put it on the ground.   
“Miss,” he said to her. Eyes barely open, she looked over at him. “Come lay down. Or else you’ll fall asleep sitting up.” With no energy to argue, she laid down where he said, so tired that she was surprisingly comfortable; and within seconds, she was asleep. Fergus laid the other blanket on top of her and sat a few feet away from her, tending to the fire and making sure to keep watch in case of any danger.  
When Skylar woke up the next morning, she sat up and looked around, very confused as to where she was. But then she remembered.  
It wasn’t just a dream, she thought. Panic started to set in again. How the hell am I gonna get home?   
“Mornin’ miss,” she heard the man she remembered as Fergus say. She looked at him and he was getting everything set on his horse. “Sleep well?”  
“As well as I could,” she answered.   
“We have to get a move on,” he told her. “We’re about 5 hours outside Edinburgh.”  
Civilization, thank God, she thought. They got settled on the horse, and off they went.   
As they rode, Skylar couldn’t help but look around at her surroundings.   
“It really is beautiful here,” she thought out loud.   
“Nothin’ beats the sights’a Scotland,” Fergus replied. “I couldna live without it.”  
“Did Jamie and his wife, um…Claire, did they bring you here?”  
“Aye, they brought me here from France. And thank God they did. Scotland’s more ma home than France ever was.”  
They chatted off and on throughout the rest of the ride. But finally, they arrived in Edinburgh. Fergus seemed completely at ease riding his horse through the bustling streets. Skylar, however, could feel every eye on her as they rode through. She didn’t blame them though. Whatever year she was in, no one had ever seen someone the likes of her before.   
“Here we are,” Fergus announced. They had stopped in front of a building, a shop with a sign reading A. Malcolm. “This is Milord’s print shop,” he continued explaining as they got off the horse.  
“You said his name was Jamie Fraser,” Skylar questioned.  
Fergus tied the horse to a pole and said, “It is. Alexander Malcolm is the name he prints under. This is his print shop.” He turned to her and smiled. “You ready to meet him?” She just stood there, like her feet were glued to the ground, playing with her hands. He could see she was definitely nervous, not knowing what to expect. “I know you just met me,” he went on, “and you dinna ken why you should trust me.” He was pretty much reading her mind. “But I assure you, Milord is who can help you.”  
After a few more moments of her not saying anything, she nodded saying, “Okay.”  
He nodded sharply back in agreement. “Okay.” He took her by the waist and led her inside. A bell jingled as they walked through the door. “Milord?” he called out.   
“Fergus?” an older man’s voice answered. “I’m at the printing press.”  
“This way,” Fergus instructed the girl quietly. The two walked down the stairs with Fergus in front and Skylar behind him, holding onto his hand for dear life. With their back to them, looking through papers, stood a man well over 6 feet tall with curly red hair in a small ponytail.   
“I trust business went well?” the man questioned.   
“Aye, Milord, it did. But um, I came across a…situation, that I need your help to figure out what to do.”  
The man, who Skylar guessed was Jamie, turned to face them. He looked older, but not too old, like late 40s. He had the most mesmerizing blue eyes Skylar had ever seen. He looked tired, like the adrenaline of his past years had finally begun calming down. He had a kind face, but she knew that one look from him could keep the biggest trouble-makers in her school in line.   
Jamie looked at Skylar for a moment, then looked to Fergus. “And who is this?” His Scottish accent was thick, not muddled like Fergus’ hybrid accent.   
“This,” Fergus spoke as he gently brought the trembling girl forward, “is Skylar. I came across her as I was leaving Inverness. She’s American.”  
“Is she now?”  
Skylar was too scared to actually look Jamie in the face, but when she did, she was glad she did. He had a slight warm smile on his face that was very calming and welcoming, and she could feel her heartbeat start to return to normal.   
“How did ya get here now, lass?” Jamie asked her.   
“I…I-um…” she tried to speak but her mouth suddenly went very dry. So Fergus spoke for her.  
“That’s the thing, Milord. She doesna remember. I found her scared out of her mind at the bottom of a hill near Craigh na Dun.”  
Hearing that, a look came across the older man’s face that conveyed several emotions at once. Awe, shock, disbelief…sadness?  
“Craigh na Dun, ye said?” he repeated.  
“Yes, sir,” Skylar finally spoke, though very softly.   
Skylar could tell Jaime’s mind was racing. With what thoughts, she had no idea. After a minute of silence, he said, “Come, lass. Let’s sit ye down and get ye some water. Ye must be exhausted.”  
“Yes, sir,” was still all she was able to muster out. Still squeezing tight onto Fergus’ hand, Jamie led them into a back room which was a makeshift bedroom. She sat on the bed and let go of Fergus’ hand, thankful to be sitting on something soft that she could grab onto. She just stared at the floor while Jamie got her a glass of water. She could hear the two men mumbling something together but she didn’t have the energy to try to listen in to what they were saying.  
When the two walked back to her, Fergus said, “Now, Skylar, I have to go take care of some errands. But Milord is going to make sure you are comfortable. He’ll make sure no harm’ll come to you. You’ll be alright now. Dinna fash.” She didn’t respond. He squeezed her shoulder, looked at Jamie, and walked out.   
Once he was gone, there was another minute of silence before Jamie handed her the water. “Drink. It’s na much but it’ll help some.”  
“Thank you,” she responded, still very softly. She took the water and meant to only take a small sip. But, just like with the food, she realized how incredibly thirsty she was and nearly drank the whole glass in one gulp. Jamie took the glass from her and refilled it. She took it again, and this time only drank small sips. The redheaded Scot sat next to her on the bed and began speaking.  
“Can ye tell me how ye got here, lass?”  
“I don’t know, sir,” she answered, on the brink of tears thinking about everything that had happened in less than 24 hours.   
“Try. Take your time.”  
She took a few deep breaths and started explaining what she could. “I was with my history class. We were on a Spring Break trip to Scotland. We were visiting Craigh na Dun. When I was looking at the stones, I heard a buzzing. But no one else could hear it, so I tried to brush it off as exhaustion. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So, that night, I snuck out and went back to the stones. I could hear the buzzing again, and this time it was so loud. It was like the stones were talking to me, telling me to come to them. I felt like I had no control over my body. Then I touched the stone in the middle and all of a sudden, I was here. I mean, it was the same place, but it was different. It wasn’t like how it was when I touched the stone.” She dared herself to look at him and the look on his face was sheer disbelief but also such astonishment. “I know this sounds absolutely crazy, but I swear it’s real-”  
“What year are ye from?” he interrupted.  
She looked at him for a second. “Excuse me?”  
“What year did ye come from?”   
“You believe me?”  
He smiled that small and warm smile again. “I do. I know all about Craigh na Dun and the powers and secrets it holds.” Skylar couldn’t stop staring at Jamie. This was a man she had just met, but at this moment, she felt she could trust him with her life, just for believing her. He put his hand on his shoulder and asked again, “What year, Skylar?”  
“2019.”


	3. 1766

CHAPTER 3

“2019,” Skylar answered. Jamie’s eyes widened and he sat up straighter when she said that.  
“Two thousand and nineteen?” he repeated slowly, as if slowing down the year number would have it make any more sense to him. He looked back at her. “What’s it like, that far into the future?”  
“Well, we don’t have flying cars or anything,” she chuckled. Jamie just stared at her blankly.  
“What are cars?” he asked.  
_Oh gosh,_ she thought, _I am definitely not qualified to explain the 21st century._  
“I was wondering, sir, if I may ask, how do you know about Craigh na Dun?” she finally dared to ask.  
The joy and wonderment that were sparking in his eyes faded at that question. His face got seldom and he looked down and away.  
“My uh, my wife, Claire. She also traveled through the stones. She came from the year 1946, and she came ta me in 1743.”  
Now it was Skylar’s turn to be shocked. She wasn’t the only one this had happened to. She had a million questions for Claire, she couldn’t wait to meet her! But then she remembered.  
“Fergus told me that she’s no longer here? That she went to America after she thought you died?”  
“That’s the story I’ve been tellin’. The truth is, I thought I was meant to die in the Battle of Culloden, and I needed te make sure she was safe. And that our child was safe, who she was pregnant with then. So, I made her go back through the stones. Back ta her time. That was 20 years ago now.” He ended the thought very quiet and Skylar could tell his heart had not recovered from losing the woman who seemed to have been the love of his life.  
“I’m so sorry,” she said, not knowing what else to say. She wanted to touch his shoulder or arm to comfort him but she didn’t think that was appropriate, having just met him.  
He smiled that soft smile again and said, “Never mind, lass. We have ta help ye find yer way home. Now, I ken a man who’ll be travelin’ through Inverness and can drop you at the stones. But, that wouldn’t be for a month from now.”  
Skylar’s heart sunk at that. “A month?”  
“I know that’s not what ye wanted ta hear, lass. But it’s yer best solution. I dinna ken anyone else that I trust who be travellin’ that way. And I, nor Fergus, can be travellin’ that far right now. We’re needed here for business.” Skylar looked down at her hands. She should’ve known that it wouldn’t have been that easy, that there had to be a catch. Jamie could see her uneasiness. “As long as yer here, yer more than welcome ta stay with me. Ye can use this spare room’a mine as yer bedroom if ya’d like. It’s na much, but it’s a bed and shelter.”  
Accepting as best she could that this was happening, she took a breath and said, “Thank you, sir. I’d like that very much.”  
His smile widened a little bit. “It’s settled then. And another thing. There’ll be none of this ‘sir’ talk. Ye can call me Jamie.”  
“Okay…Jamie.”  
“The errands I sent Fergus on were te fetch some more food and clothes for ye. He’ll be back soon. In the meantime, ye can wait in here if ye’d like. Get some sleep on a bed instead of the ground.”  
“Thank you, Jamie. For everything.”  
“Of course, lassie.” He smiled one more time, then started to leave, telling her to shout if she needed him for anything.  
“Oh, Jamie?” she called to him. He turned back to her. “What year is it, now, by the way?”  
“1766.” Then he left.  
Skylar’s breath got caught in her throat when she heard that.  
_Omigod,_ she thought. _1766? The Revolutionary War hasn’t even happened yet! Electricity, cars…WIFI?!_  
She instinctively touched her pocket for her phone, but then she remembered she didn’t bring it with her when she went to the stones back in her time.  
_Just as well,_ she continued to think. _I have no one to text right now anyway._

OUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDER

Skylar didn’t even remember falling asleep. When she woke up, there was natural light flooding into her room so she knew it was daytime. She figured she hadn’t been asleep that long.  
Groggily, she stood up. She wanted to stretch her legs a little, so she opened the door that led into Jamie’s shop. She walked up the stairs and saw Fergus standing, looking over a stack of what looked like pamphlets. He heard her walk in and turned to her.  
“You’re finally awake,” he said. “We were starting to get worried.”  
“You were?”  
“Yes. You’ve been asleep since yesterday afternoon.”  
“Yesterday afternoon?” she repeated, very surprised.  
Fergus chuckled. “Aye. You slept a whole day. Though it is not surprising, with the adventure you’ve had.”  
“Did Jamie tell you?”  
He nodded. “He told me you arrived here with your family and got into a…disagreement of sorts with some Redcoats. I’m so sorry Skylar, that your parents could not escape.”  
Jamie didn’t tell him, she thought. He must not want people to know about the time travelling thing.  
“Thank you,” she replied, going along with the story. She didn’t know what else to say.  
Fergus, thinking that she just did not want to talk about it, changed the subject. “Milord told me that you will be staying with us for a while. He had me buy some dresses for you. Come.” He led her back into her room and to the wardrobe. He opened it for her and, there enough, there were 4 dresses hanging. Skylar reached out and touched them. The fabric felt like it would be comfortable enough. It wasn’t as heavy as she thought they would be.  
“Milord was not able to provide the best dresses, but he wanted to make sure they were pretty for you. They are the best he could do.”  
“They’re beautiful,” she said. And they definitely were. One was a pale blue with crème laces, one was a deep red with a darker red laces and the same color trim on the hem and edges of the sleeves, the third was a forest green with yellow flowers and yellow laces, and the last was a lavender color with royal purple laces.  
“I’ll leave you to change,” Fergus said, then left.  
She looked over the dresses probably a hundred times, then decided on the floral dress. Luckily, it was a simple dress so it did not have a corset back. She was able to slip it over her head and let it flow down. It fit her perfectly. She put on a pair of the shoes that Jamie had also provided and looked at herself in the mirror. The dress looked stunning on her. It was the perfect size for her as well as length. She needed to do something about her hair though. It was going in all directions. She looked around and saw a brush on a small table. She grabbed it and tried to brush out the million knots that developed in her hair. After a good five minutes of brushing, her hair looked much more presentable.  
_What I wouldn’t give for some concealer,_ she thought, looking at the shadows under her eyes. She also noticed that she looked extremely pale currently. _Or blush._  
Looking herself over one last time, she went back out into the shop. She went over to Fergus who was still looking over the same pamphlets. His mouth dropped a little when he saw her.  
“You look lovely, Skylar,” he told her.  
She smiled. “Thank you. I feel better.” As soon as she said that her stomach grumbled loudly. She turned bright red, knowing Fergus heard that.  
“Are you hungry, miss?” he asked.  
“I guess I am,” she chuckled.  
“Would you like to accompany me to The World’s End for some food?”  
“The World’s End? That seems pretty far.”  
Fergus smiled at her joke. “It’s just a tavern a few steps from here. The food is not bad.”  
“Sure. That’d be great.”  
Might as well see the place I’ll be staying in for a while, she thought.  
“Wonderful. Follow me.” He offered her his arm, and they walked out the door.


	4. Routine

CHAPTER 4

Skylar held tight to Fergus’s arm as he led through the streets. She wasn’t used to being in the middle of this big of crowds. Springfield was a smaller town and she had rarely left its borders. As overwhelming as the city of Edinburgh was, she couldn’t help but be fascinated by everything she saw. All the vendors lining the streets, the shops and building all of various sizes and selling different goods, group after group of people parading around them.  
When they arrived to The World’s End, Fergus opened the door for her and she timidly went through, Fergus right behind her, making sure to keep a hand on her shoulder. He led her to the nearest empty table and they sat down. They hadn’t been sitting for more than 10 seconds when a young woman came up to them.  
“And what can I get ye both ta drink?” she asked.  
“We’ll both have a whiskey,” Fergus told her. The waitress nodded and walked away.  
“I can’t drink! I’m not 21!” Skylar exclaimed.  
He gave her a confused look and asked, “What does your age matter?”  
_No drinking ages, okay, noted,_ she thought.  
“Um, it’s just…something that some families follow in America,” she explained. “That you’re not allowed to drink alcohol until you’re 21 years old.”  
“That’s a ridiculous rule,” he commented. “I never would’ve followed that.” After another moment, the waitress came back over with their drinks. “Can we get a couple of potato scones?”  
“Be right back,” the waitress said, then walked away again.  
The two picked up their drinks, clinked them, then they each took a sip. The moment it entered Skylar’s mouth, it burned like crazy. Somehow, she managed to swallow her sip, but it was immediately followed by a coughing fit.  
“Are you alright, Skylar?” Fergus asked, though not being able to hide a chuckle.  
“You can just drink that?! Like it’s water?!” she cried, rubbing her sore throat.  
“You get used to it. And you will. It takes a few.”  
“Yeah, we’ll see,” Skylar mumbled, sarcastically.  
“So, tell me what life in America is like.” While they ate, she tried to tell him as much as she could, trying to avoid things that might make him suspicious. She made sure to avoid the whole Presidency idea as that hadn’t happened yet, as well as any kind of technology. She mainly told him about the culture, such as the food, literature, theatre, fashion, and other things like that. She was silently thanking herself for paying attention in American History and English.  
Before they knew it, three hours had gone by.  
“It’s getting late. We need to get back,” Fergus said.  
As they walked back, Skylar still holding onto his arm but not as tightly now, asked, “So, what is it that Jamie prints?”  
Fergus looked around, then bent down to her and whispered as quietly as he could so that she could still hear, “Sedition pamphlets. Trying to rally those still against the King.” He straightened up and continued, “No one can know. It’s highly illegal.” He could see that shook her up a bit. “You do not need to worry, Skylar. No one is going to find out. You’re not in danger.”  
“Do you help him with that? The printings?”  
He nodded sharply. “I do sometimes. But what my assistance to Milord is mainly involved in smuggling.”  
“Smuggling? Smuggling what?”  
“Alcohol.”  
“isn’t that also highly illegal?”  
“Not as much. Get caught smuggling and you wouldn’t be hanged for it.”  
On that comforting thought, they arrived back to Jamie’s print shop. They found Jamie in the entry way, hanging papers wet with ink to dry. He turned when he heard the bell ring.  
“Ah, there you two are. I was wonderin’ where ya got off te.”  
“I was hungry, so Fergus took me to get some food,” Skylar explained.  
“Good on ye, lad. Now Fergus, you and I must go meet with one of our, uh, business partners.”  
Before Fergus could respond, Skylar chimed in with, “You mean someone who’s buying your smuggled alcohol, or is he involved in sedition too?” Jamie just stared at the girl for a few moments, then turned to look at the man beside her.  
“She asked what we did,” was all he said in response.  
Jamie sighed then said, “Well, ye seem ta be trustworthy. So I suppose there’s no harm in ye knowin’.” He walked away from them, taking off his apron as he continued, “It’s McDaniels. He’s interested in our brandy. We need ta meet him at Madam Jeanne’s.”  
“Where’s that?” Skylar asked.  
“It’s no place for you, Skylar,” he told her. “You’ll not be goin’ there. Besides, it’s getting’ dark. Ye best be stayin’ here for the rest of the night.”  
“It’s my second day here and I’m given a curfew already?”  
“Aye. I’ll no be havin’ anything happen ta ya while yer in my care.” As he put on his jacket and hat, he kept talking, “If ye’d like somethin’ ta do while we’re gone, ye can hang the rest of the papers in the pile here and perhaps sweep the shop.”  
“A curfew AND chores?!” Her smile let Jamie know the complaining wasn’t serious.  
He smiled back and said, “We won’t be long.” With that, the two men were gone.  
Skylar did what Jamie suggested. She made sure everything was hung up neatly and that she could make his shop as clean as she could. She also read some of his articles. Before their trip to Scotland, her history class had been learning about Scotland’s fight for independence concluding in the infamous Battle of Culloden. She was riveted by the words Jamie wrote. She almost found herself wishing she could’ve come back earlier, to be around during the rebellion.  
A little less than two hours later, Jamie and Fergus returned. They found Skylar sitting in the bedroom, still reading Jamie’s articles.  
“I hope they’re not too boring for ye,” Jamie said to her, making her jump a little.  
“Not at all,” she replied. “These are incredible. I knew nothing about Scotland or its history, but just after reading some of these, I wish I had been able to help.”  
“Trust me, it’s good ye weren’t. But, if ya do wish ta help me a bit, ye can help print some of the articles.”  
“Are you serious? That would be amazing! I’d love to actually have something to do while I’m here.”  
“Ye’ll start tomorrow. Now, it’s time fer ye to get some sleep. I’ll be sleepin’ outside yer door ta make sure yer safe.”  
“You really don’t have – ” she started to argue, but one look from Jamie said she had no chance.  
“I will be just down the street,” Fergus told her. “I will see you in the morning, Skylar. Milord.” He nodded at both of them, then left.  
Skylar felt very calm that night, not stressed or scared like the last time she was sleeping in this bed. She still couldn’t believe this all was real. It still felt like a dream. But now, she didn’t want to wake up from it.  
The next morning, she woke up, actually feeling excited about her first full day in 1766 Edinburgh. She quickly pulled one of the dresses over her head and brushed her hair, then walked into the print shop. There Jamie was already, busy at his printing press. He looked up when he heard her come in.  
“Good morning, Skylar,” he greeted her.  
“Good morning.” She walked over to where he was standing and just stared at him working.  
“Ye still wanna learn how ta do this?” he asked.  
“Definitely.”  
Jamie taught her everything that went into making a print; which paper to use and where to put it, how much ink to use and, again, where to put it, and, of course, how to print it. He should her a few times in a row, then had her try on her own. The first couple were a bit messy, but by her 5th one, she had it down.  
“Yer a fast learner, lass.”  
“I’m able to pick up anything quickly. Thus, having so many ‘passions’ as a kid.”  
“Passions? Like what?”  
“Oh God, I went from playing the flute, to tap dancing, to painting, to a million other things. But my mom supported me through each and every one. She came to every recital, art showing, sports game, everything. She was my biggest fan.”  
“She must be worried about you right now, not knowing where ye are.”  
“Um, no, no she’s not.” Some tears threatened to fall as she went on. “She died about two years ago. She got very sick.” It was quiet between them for a minute.  
“I’m so sorry, Skylar,” Jamie said, softly. She just nodded, willing herself not to cry. She touched the necklace that still hung around her neck. She had noticed the day before that her birth stone was no longer there. It broke her heart. But the necklace itself still kept her mom with her. “And yer Da?”  
She shrugged. “He left when I was four. He has a new family now, and so I just get a birthday card and a Christmas card each year. But that’s it.” It was quiet again, neither knowing what to say. “Anyways,” Skylar said, shaking it off, “we better get back to work. These articles won’t print themselves.”  
For the next few hours, the two printed probably close to 200 sedition pieces, each one being set carefully around the shop to dry. Once they dried, they were stacked into piles and tied together. Skylar also met some more of Jamie’s “employees.” One seemed to be a sort of office assistant named Geordie who clearly thought he was very much above this. The other two were called Lesley and Hayes, who went out to deliver the papers.  
When the workday was over, Skylar and Jamie went to meet Fergus at The World’s End for dinner. When they arrived, Skylar was surprised to see another man sitting with Fergus. He was an older Chinese man with his long hair in a single braid and dressed in very nice clothes. When they got to the table, the Chinese man stood up and bowed his head to Jamie.  
“Mr. Malcolm,” he said.  
“Skylar, I’d like ta introduce you to a business partner of mine. This is Mr. Wiloughby,” Jamie said.  
“It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Wiloughby.” She held her hand out for him to shake, but much to her surprise, he kissed it instead.  
“Wǒ kěyǐ kàn dào nǐ nèiwài yīyàng měilì,” the man said.  
“Ummm…” She had no idea to respond, having no idea what he said.  
“He said that he can tell you are as beautiful inside as you are out,” Jamie translated.  
“Thank you but, how can you tell that already?”  
“I’ve met many people in my life,” Mr. Wiloughby spoke, surprising Skylar by speaking in English. “And I can always tell right away if someone is a good person just in how they greet a new person.” He pulled out a chair for her to sit in and, a little in awe of this man, she sat down.

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The next four weeks went by pretty uneventfully and Skylar began to fall into a rhythm. She would wake up and help Jamie with whatever he needed, printing, cleaning, and she even sometimes went to deliver the papers. Everyone figured no one would suspect a young girl to be carrying traitorous papers. There were even one or two times she somehow got Jamie to agree to let her tag along with Fergus to deal with his customers for the smuggled alcohol. When things seemed to not be going in the way they needed them to, Skylar was able to flirt and charm her way into getting the customer to give in.  
She’d be lying if she said 18th century Edinburgh was a walk in the park. Being a young pretty girl in this time came with its hardships. She was consistently harassed by men while she just walked down the street, men trying to pick her up while she was sat in taverns, and also being mistaken for one of Madam Jeanne’s whores (a place where she had also coerced Jamie into letting her go to); but Jamie or Fergus, who rarely let her out of their sight, were always there to swoop in and make sure no harm was coming to her.  
Though she had only known them a short time, the two began to feel like family to her. Having been an only child, she never experienced a sibling relationship, but Fergus had become the older brother she never knew she wanted. He also cared for her as a sister, making sure she was never in trouble or danger but also always being there to listen or talk whenever she needed. They also bickered and teased like siblings. Jamie had to break out the ‘kids behave or I’ll turn this car around’ voice on them quite often.  
With that, Jamie had become something of a father figure to Skylar. Like Fergus, he was protective of her. Sometimes a bit too much. There had been more than one time where he saw Skylar talking to a boy, obviously consensually and enjoying herself, but he would find a way to usher her away, or just stare at the young man from behind the girl intimidatingly until the suitor ran away.  
He loved having her around. He loved having her work with him, and her actually enjoying it. Every time he said something that made her smile or laugh, it made him feel good and proud. Having had two sons, him raising Fergus from a young boy and being around Willie during his early childhood, it was a nice feeling to have a young girl in his care again, not having seen his two step-daughters in many months. He wanted to provide all he could for her; give her the prettiest dresses and have her want for nothing. But he also knew that this was all coming to an end very soon. And it broke his heart to think about it.  
Skylar had also been thinking about this. It had nearly been a month since she first got there, and that was the arrangement. After a month, she would be able to be taken back to the stones and go home. And thinking about how that day was getting closer and closer made her sad. At the very beginning of this journey, all she could think about was going home, back to her time. But now that it was actually going to happen, she didn’t want it.  
_Could I do this?_ she thought. _Could I actually stay here?_  
While they were hanging up their prints, Jamie had been telling her that she would be able to leave in 3 days.  
“Jamie?” she said. She turned to look at him and saw he was looking at her. “Could I…would-would you maybe be okay with it, if I didn’t go?”  
This stunned Jamie into silence for a full minute. Once he wrapped his head around what she had just asked he said, “Ye don’t want ta go back?”  
“I’ve been thinking about this every second of every day almost since I got here. I have nothing for me back home. My mom’s dead, my dad’s nonexistent. The rest of my family is no use so I’ve been in a foster family that has so many kids already, they barely know I’m there now. I don’t have many friends back home, and I have no idea what I want for my future there. But I’ve felt like I had more of a purpose here in this last month than my last 16 years in 2019. You and Fergus are the closest thing I’ve had to a family in a long time. I do understand if you don’t want me to stay, but I really – ”  
She was interrupted by Jamie enveloping her in a tight hug. She held on to him just as tight. When he pulled away, he put his hands on her shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes. “Are ye sure about this, Skylar? Because I dinna ken when the next opportunity would be for ye ta go.”  
She nodded vigorously. “I’m sure. I want to stay here. With you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive the Chinese!!! I just put in into Google translate then copied and pasted. I apologize if it’s completely off!!


	5. Youngin' and Yank

CHAPTER 5

Skylar was worried that she would regret her decision to stay in 1766. But as the days and weeks went by, she only grew happier about her it. Every day she felt more and more like she belonged there. There were even one or two days where she didn’t think of her life back in 2019.  
Nearly another month had passed before something broke her from her routine. She was in the middle of brushing her hair one morning when she heard the bell above the front door ring. A minute or two later, it was followed by stern raised voices; not shouting, but she could tell Jamie was very disapproving of whoever he was talking to. Intrigued, Skylar slowly opened her bedroom door and poked her head out. She could hear more clearly:  
“Ye canna just runaway like this, Ian. Without a word to yer parents. Yer mother must be scared half ta death by now.”  
“I’ve told them time and time again. I donna belong there. I need ta be earnin’ ma way, like a real man. They donna listen!”  
Skylar quietly walked up the stairs, towards the argument. At the top of the stairs, she saw Jamie talking to someone. It was a boy who looked around her age. He was a good bit taller than she was and very slim. He had long strawberry-blonde hair tied in a low ponytail.  
“Yer only 16, Ian. Ye canna be livin’ on yer own. Yer not ready.”  
“I wouldna be livin’ on my own. I’d be here, with you.”  
“Ya know I must bring ya back home, before yer mother herself marches in here and drags ye back.”  
She had been leaning against a countertop, trying to be discreet, when her hand accidentally slipped on the stack of papers it was on and sent them flying, as well making her fall to the floor. For half a second, she closed her eyes, praying that they hadn’t heard that. But unfortunately, they most definitely did.  
“Are ya alright, Skylar?” Jamie asked her worriedly, helping her up.  
Feeling her face heat up, she answered, “I-I’m fine. I just tripped walking up the stairs.”  
“I apologize, lass, if our discussion disturbed ye.”  
“No, not at all. I didn’t even hear you.” Her eyes quickly glanced at the boy behind him, who looked slightly red as well.  
Jamie saw her notice him and said, “Skylar, I’d like ye ta meet my nephew,” he walked back to the one in question with Skylar next to him, “my dimwitted nephew, Young Ian Murray. Ian, this is Skylar.”  
“It’s verra nice ta meet ye, miss,” Ian said to her, not actually looking her in the eye.  
“You too,” she replied. There was an awkward silence.  
Jamie broke it with, “Skylar, why don’t ya go meet Fergus at Madam Jeanne’s. He may need assistance with a customer.”  
“Yeah, sure. No problem.” She looked back to Young Ian and saw he was actually looking at her, which for some reason made her feel shy; so she hurried past him and out the door.  
_What the hell was that?_ she thought as she walked down the street. The feeling she had when she saw who Jamie called Young Ian was something she had never experienced. But she pushed it out of her mind and went to meet Fergus.  
After a successful business transaction, thanks to Skylar, the two headed back to Jamie’s print shop.  
“Are you alright?” This snapped Skylar out of the trance she was in. She looked up at Fergus, who was looking down at her, mildly concerned.  
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”  
“Well, you’re awfully quiet. You usually cannot stop gloating after being the one to clinch the sale.”  
“I’m fine. I promise.” The truth was she couldn’t get the extremely brief encounter she had with Jamie’s nephew out of her head. It made her feel weird thinking about it. A little sick actually. She had no idea what was going on with her; except that, for some reason, she was hoping he might still be there when they got back.  
And he was.  
When the two walked in the door, there stood Young Ian, tying stacks of papers together.  
Fergus smiled and exclaimed, “Ian!” Ian looked up and, seeing Fergus, smiled back. Fergus walked over to the younger boy and hugged him. “It’s so good to see you friend. But what are you doing here?”  
“Uncle Jamie said I could stay for a little while, help out with things a bit. Oh! This is for you.” He looked over his shoulder to make sure Jamie wasn’t around, then pulled something out of his pocket. It was a folded piece of paper. He handed it to Fergus, who smiled at seeing it, and carefully put it in his jacket pocket.  
Then, having forgot she was there for a moment, Fergus said, “You must meet our dear friend.” He turned to Skylar and gestured her forward.  
Not understanding why her stomach felt in knots, she walked forward. “We met earlier,” she told him. “Briefly. Ian, right?”  
“Aye, miss. And yer name is Skylar, am I wrong?”  
“No, you’re not wrong.”  
“If you two will excuse me, I have some, um, reading to catch up on,” Fergus said, excusing himself. He walked down the stairs and left the two teenagers alone.  
“So, from the small part of what I heard you and Jamie talking about, I thought he was saying that he didn’t want you to stay here,” Skylar questioned.  
“He didna, at first. But he finally agreed to keep me here for a two weeks or so and see how I get on. I think he’s hopin’ I donna like livin’ fer maself and beg ta go home.”  
“And you’re gonna prove him wrong?”  
“Exactly.” He smiled at her, and Skylar couldn’t help but smile back. He had such a sweet and friendly face. She was hoping that they would be able to spend more time together so she could actually have a friend her age around.  
Jamie decided that Ian would share Skylar’s bedroom, him sleeping on a pile of blankets on the floor.  
“I ken I can trust ye both not ta get inta any trouble now, right?” Jamie said to them that night. They both instantly turned bright red, knowing what he was insinuating. They assured him they were fine, and he left.  
Though they had been talking to each other all day and getting along really well, it definitely felt awkward sharing the room at first. Skylar changed into her nightgown behind the divider, making sure he was all set before she came out.  
“Are you sure you’re comfortable?” she asked him. “I’m small enough to fit on the little couch if you wanna take the bed. I don’t mind.”  
“Ye needna trouble yerself. I’m plenty comfortable, I assure you.”  
There was a minute of silence between them, then Skylar asked, “Do your parents know you came here?”  
“Uncle Jamie sent them a letter this afternoon explainin’ everything. They’re still going ta be plenty mad though.”  
“Are your parents strict?”  
“Not strict really. They just dinna like it when I, or any of ma siblings for that matter, break their rules.”  
“How many sibling do you have?”  
“I’m the youngest’a seven. Two brothers and four sisters.”  
“You have six brothers and sisters?!”  
He chuckled. “Aye. It was definitely a crowded house growin’ up. Luckily, some are married with their own lives so they dinna live there anymore. There was never enough room and it was always loud.”  
“Sounds exciting.”  
“Ye wouldna think it was exciting if ye were the one that got the last’a everything. Never getting’ anything new, just what ma brothers grew out of or didna want anymore. Getting stuck with the worst chores. Sharin’ a room with ma sister and never getting any privacy.”  
“I guess I understand why you want to get out of there.”  
“I don’t want te, I need te. I need te stop bein’ treated like a child.”  
“Well, maybe your time spent here will help them see that.”  
“Maybe.” 

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Skylar and Young Ian got on very quickly. By the end of his fifth day there, the two were practically inseparable. They even had nicknames for each other. Since Skylar thought ‘Young Ian’ was sometimes a mouthful to say, she’d taken to calling him ‘Youngin’. And “Youngin’” would call her ‘Yank’, since she was seen as a Yankee, being from America.  
The relationship Skylar had with Ian was very different than her relationship with Fergus or Jamie. She didn’t see Ian as her brother. She felt something else for him, but she really had no idea what it was. Whenever she was around him, which was a lot, her stomach would hurt and her palms would be sweaty. She wasn’t nervous to talk to him at all; but sometimes she would end up tongue tied, stumbling over her words. Every time he smiled at her, the knots in her stomach would tighten, but it would also fill her with warmth.  
There was one thing that she found dreadfully annoying about her friend. A day wouldn’t go by where he didn’t talk to her about some pretty girl he saw. Every “bonny lass” he brought up made her feel sick; but not the good-sick she felt when Ian smiled at her. It was more like a burning in her stomach and her chest would tighten. And this day was no different.  
Ian had been in Edinburgh for nearly three weeks now, and Jamie had started letting him help with the smuggling business as well. After the latest sale, Fergus had to pick up some items that Jamie asked him to get, so Ian and Skylar were walking back to the print shop on their own.  
As they were walking and talking, a girl with long blonde hair and a dress that left little to the imagination caught his eye. Skylar saw her friend make eye contact with this random girl and that he actually turned completely around to keep looking at her after she passed the two.  
“Jesus,” he said under his breath, then said outloud, “The lasses really are different here than in Lallybroch.”  
“Shouldn’t you talk to Fergus about this? I’m really not the best person to talk about the size of girls’ breasts with.”  
“I’m interested in more than just their breasts. I’m fascinated by all parts of a woman.”  
“Gross, Youngin’.”  
“It’s just human nature, Yank.”  
“God, you are such a boy. If a man every came up to me and told me he was fascinated by all of my parts, I would slap him straight across the face.”  
“Why do ye never talk about anyone ye find attractive?”  
She shrugged. “Because there’s no one I find attractive right now? No one has caught my eye.” She didn’t see Ian look slightly disappointed at her statement. She was too busy thinking. She was trying to figure why she hadn’t caught feelings for anyone since she arrived here. There were plenty of good looking young men in Edinburgh, many which had tried to flirt with her multiple times. For a while, she would flirt back as well, enjoying the interaction. But lately, she just got bored with the flirting. Every time she would start talking to a guy, she would barely pay attention, waiting for the right moment to excuse herself. She found that she much preferred talking to Ian than to the random guys around town. He was more fun to talk to and be around. She could tell him anything and he would always listen and respond. He would always be able to cheer her up on days when she felt sad. They could laugh for hours about absolutely nothing. She had truly never felt so comfortable or happy around someone.  
She looked at him as they walked, and another thought suddenly entered her head. A very scary thought.  
_No!_ she screamed in her head at the thought. _That’s impossible! There’s no way! There is no way I like him!_  
She immediately looked forward, focusing on anything to get her mind on a different subject. She couldn’t feel this way about Ian! He was her closest friend. She never saw him as anything other than that.  
Her heart was racing, scared at what her mind was doing to her. She thanked God when they arrived back at the print shop, so Ian had no time to notice how she was acting.  
“Uncle Jamie! We’re back!” he called out as they walked inside.  
“I’m downstairs!” Jamie answered. The two made their way to join him, Skylar focusing on calming herself down.  
_We had been talking about people we found attractive, that’s the only reason I thought of him like that. And it was only for a split second. I’m fine, everything’s normal,_ she was trying to convince herself.  
“Hey,” Ian said to her, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Are ye alright? Ye seem verra concerned about something.”  
Her shoulder burned when he put his hand on it. Using all her will to ignore it, she forced a smile and told him, “I’m fine.”  
“Ya sure?”  
Not able to handle it anymore, she playfully pushed his hand off and replied with, “Yes, Youngin’. Nothing’s wrong.” She moved passed him and went down the stairs, praying Jamie had a task for her to do to keep her mind busy.  
Skylar and Ian met Jamie at one of the counters where he was organizing more flyers.  
“Sale went great, Uncle Jamie,” Ian stated. “We have the money, all accounted for.” He reached into his pocket and took out what they made, and put it on the table next to Jamie.  
“Good work. You two and Fergus make fine salesmen,” the older man complimented. “Now, we have matter we need to discuss, Ian.”  
“What’s that?”  
Jamie picked up a letter from the counter. “I received this from yer mother taday. She says enough is enough, and that it’s time fer you ta go home.”  
Skylar’s breath got caught in her throat. She shouldn’t have been surprised. They both knew that he wasn’t going to be able to stay there permanently. Yet she still couldn’t believe the day had come.  
“I’m not leavin’,” Ian said plainly.  
“Yes, Ian, you are. Tomorrow.”  
“This isn’t right! They know I’m doin’ well here, and they still are treatin’ me like a child!”  
“I’m sorry, but it isna yer choice. You have ta listen to yer parents and do as they say.”  
Ian, too angry to yell, just looked his uncle in the eye and said. “I’m stayin’.” He then turned and walked into the bedroom.  
Skylar looked at Jamie, who just ran his hand over his face.  
“What am I goin’ ta do with him?”  
“Does he really have to? I mean, he’s right. He’s doing fine here.”  
“I canna argue with Jenny anymore. She is his mother and she has final say.”  
“Let me try to talk to him,” Skylar offered, knowing there was no way around it. “I can calm him down.”  
“I wish ye luck.” Jamie then went upstairs.  
Skylar took a breath and went into the bedroom.


	6. Lallybroch

The journey to Lallybroch was a rollercoaster of emotions. The first leg was very quiet and very high-tensed. Young Ian and Skylar rode together with Fergus leading them. It was obvious the lad was not happy about being forced home. Skylar wasn’t any less sad about losing the person who had become her best friend. However, she did know that this was what needed to happen. As much as Ian wanted to be a man and be on his own, he needed to be reminded that he was in fact only 16 years old and needed to respect his parents. And that’s exactly what Skylar did.  
The day after Jamie told him he needed to go back to Lallybroch, the three started their trek. They left with Ian barely saying a word to his uncle. Skylar knew Jamie felt bad about sending him back, but he knew Ian had to be with parents.  
When they stopped for the night, the solemn mood continued. Ian hardly spoke, though Skylar kept trying to cheer him up as best she could. She could sometimes get a small smile out of him, but it would disappear as quick as it came.  
Later that night, Skylar woke up and looked around. She saw Fergus was still fast asleep, but Ian, who had been lying next to her, wasn’t there. She stood up and went looking for him, knowing he couldn’t have gone far. And she was right. She found him sat up against a tree, facing away from the camp. She wondered if she should leave him alone but decided against it and went to sit next to him. He glanced at her, then looked away again.  
“Why are ye awake?” he asked.  
“Wow, four whole words. That’s the most you’ve said all day,” she joked. He let out a chuckle, then went silent. After a few moments, she spoke again. “I know you hate this. I know you think your parents are wrong for making you come back. And they might be; and you can prove to them that this isn’t best for you. But, you should also be glad that you have parents that love you and care for you so much and that are so protective of you. I’d give anything to have my mom here telling me what to do. Though this isn’t the greatest way for them to show it, they really do want what’s best for you.”  
“It’s not just Ma and Da that I’m upset about,” he said slowly. “I…I donna wanna leave ye, Yank.” He turned his head to her and looked her in the eyes. While Skylar tried to control her heartbeat and prayed that her friend, Just my friend, she kept saying in her head, couldn’t hear the pounding, Ian was silently thanking God it was dark enough so that the girl in front of him couldn’t see how red his face was.  
He dropped his eyes to the ground and continued, “Yer ma best mate, ye know. I’ve never had a friend half as good as ye. I feel like I’ve known ye fer ma whole life. I donna wanna lose ye now.”  
Skylar scooted in closer to him and looped her arm through his. “Listen to me. You are not going to lose me. I’m sorry to tell you this, Youngin’, but you’re kinda stuck with me forever.” She saw him give a genuine smile and laugh at that. “I’m sure you have paper and a quill at Lallybroch, so we can write to each other. And Jamie has to see his sister sometimes, so I can come with him then. You can coerce your parents to take a trip to Edinburgh once in a while. And soon, you will be old enough to be on your own; and I will be right here waiting for you.”  
“Ye’ll wait fer me?” he questioned. Skylar thought she saw a spark in his eyes at that, but she brushed it off as moonlight.  
She quickly backtracked her wording, “You know, waiting for you back in Edinburgh where we can support each other. You’ll definitely need my help getting yourself off the ground.”  
He sighed. “How am I gonna survive without ye, Yank?”  
She put her head on his shoulder and said plainly, “You probably won’t.” They both laughed heartily at that.

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“Mornin’, you two!” a voice bellowed.  
Skylar’s eyes fluttered open. She looked next to her and saw Ian, still asleep.  
When did we fall asleep? she thought. She looked up to where the voice had come from and saw Fergus standing above them with a fish-eating grin.  
“Up, out of the love nest. We need to get a move on,” he teased.  
Skylar just rolled her eyes, used to this. From the day Ian arrived to Jamie’s and became fast friends with Skylar, Fergus decided that the two of them were absolutely in love with each other and tried to convince them of it whenever he got the chance. It was embarrassing at first, but now it was just annoying. And it was not helping the confusing thoughts the young girl was having about her friend.  
She shoved Ian slightly and he woke up.  
“Why the hell did we think sleepin’ against a tree was good idea?” he asked, helping Skylar up.  
“I have no idea, but let’s never do that again.”  
“Agreed.”  
As they set out riding again, the mood was a lot cheerier. Ian was chatty and he was laughing while the three of them joked with each other like normal. This continued for the rest of that day as well as the whole of the following day. It wasn’t until Ian started to recognize the surroundings that the joy disappeared.  
“What’s wrong?” Skylar asked him. She was sat behind him with her arms wrapped around his waist, so she could feel it when he tensed.  
“I know where we are,” he answered softly, disappointed. “We’re nearly there.”  
Skylar tightened her grasp around him and put her cheek against him, trying to hug him from behind.  
“Everything is going to be okay,” she told him, trying to comfort him. He put one of his hands over hers in response, causing her face to heat up. She still refused to believe what her body was telling her. There was absolutely no way in the hottest fires of hell she was falling in love with Young Ian Murray.  
After only another 2 hours, Lallybroch came into sight. As the three got closer, Skylar couldn’t help but admire the beautiful stone house. It also seemed very familiar for some reason. She gasped when she remembered.  
“Are ye alright, Yank?” Ian asked, sounding concerned.  
“Yeah yeah, I’m fine. Just hiccupped.”  
She remembered where she had seen this place, and why she could’ve sworn she’d heard the name Lallybroch before. During her school trip, her class had come here. It was just a piece of Scottish history that Mr. Morrison thought his class would enjoy. At that time, she didn’t think it was anything special. It was an old house that no one had lived in for over 200 hundred years. They weren’t even allowed inside, as it was condemned. But now, as they passed under the archway, she saw that it was teeming with life. There were animals and children running all around. Smoke was coming from the chimney. She couldn’t believe that the place she didn’t give a second thought to was actually was the house her closest friend grew up in.  
_This is making my head spin,_ she thought.  
They had barely entered the courtyard when they heard a woman yell, “Ian!” They looked towards the door and Skylar saw Ian’s face get very serious and get even paler than normal. There stood a woman who looked slightly older than Jamie but no taller than Skylar. She had jet black hair up in a bun and was wearing a dress with an apron covered in stains. She was watching them come further in with her hands on her waist and a face that was doing it’s best not to cry.  
As soon as Ian finished helping Skylar off the horse, the woman, who Skylar guessed was his mother, rushed over and hugged him as tight as she possibly could. She held him for probably a full minute. When she finally released him, she just looked at him for a second, then hit him over the head.  
“Ow! Ma!” Ian cried.  
“Young Ian Fraser Murray, how dare ye run off like that?! I ought’a box yer ears! Scare me an’ yer father half ta death! Barely a note left sayin’ where ye were! What have ye te say fer yerself? Hm?”  
“I’m sorry I scared ye, Ma. I didna mean te worry ye. I ken Uncle Jamie would write te ye sayin’ I arrived.”  
Trying to compose herself as best she could, she took a deep breath and said, “Yer father’s inside, waitin’ fer ye. Ye’ll receive yer punishment as expected. Alright?”  
“Yes, Ma.”  
“Good.” She looked at him another moment then hugged him again. “Jesus Mary Joseph, Ian. I just thank God yer back in one piece.” When she let him go, she finally realized that he was not alone. “And who might this be?”  
Skylar’s breath got caught in her throat. She had just been standing as quietly as she could in the background, hoping that this woman might not notice her. She was definitely a little scared of her.  
“Oh, Mistress Murray, it hasna been that long since you saw me. You must remember me,” Fergus joked, trying to lighten the air.  
“I ken verra well who ye are, Fergus. Ye only lived under me roof for near twenty years. I mean, the lass.”  
Skylar opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. She felt as nervous as she was meeting Jamie for the first time.  
Seeing his friend slightly panicked, Ian answered for her, “Her name is Skylar Kelley. She’s me friend.”  
“Ye live in Edinburgh, do ye, Skylar?” Ian’s mother asked.  
Skylar nodded and finally found some courage to speak, “Yes ma’am. Jamie Fraser took me in.”  
“Yer American?”  
“Yes ma’am.”  
“Ye live with Jamie, ye say. What about yer family?”  
Ian jumped in with, “Ma, maybe this isna the best time to question her?”  
“Ye mind yer mouth. If a new person is arrivin’ te me house, I can question them if I so want. But I can see the poor girl is terrified out of her wits, so ye may be right. Inside now, the three ‘a ye. Ye’ll get yer things later, Ian.” With that, she turned on her heel and briskly walked inside the house.  
Ian took a shaky breath and started forward, the other two right behind him.


	7. The Murray Family

Walking inside, Skylar was in awe of her surroundings. The house was beautiful. It reminded her of the inn she had stayed at with her class. Patterned carpets lined the floors and eye-catching patterned tapesties were hung on the walls. The hall they were walking down led into what looked like the parlour. The first thing she noticed was the huge fireplace at the end of the room and a grand staircase behind it. There was a couch as well as a few armchairs placed near the center reupholstered with rich looking fabrics. A stunning chandelier hung on the ceiling, lighting up the room along with the additional natural light coming from the windows to her right. Delicious smells of breads, meats, and cakes wafted in from the room on her left, which she assumed was the kitchen.  
she thought.  
“Da,” Ian said, stopping suddenly and causing Skylar to bump into him. She looked around him and in one of the chairs was a man who was probably extremely handsome when he was younger. He had sharp features and long gray hair in a ponytail. Light gray stubble dressed his face. When he stood up, she noticed that he only had one leg; the other replaced by a peg of wood. Skylar wasn’t instantly afraid of him, like she had been with Ian’s mother. He had a very firm but kind face, very similar to Jamie’s.  
“Son,” he spoke. He walked to Young Ian and hugged him, relieved to have his child home. He then gripped his hand onto his son’s shoulder and asked, “What in God’s name went through yer head te make ye run off and put us through that hell?”  
“Ye ken why I left, Da. I’ve outgrown this place. I love ye and Ma, but I dinna belong here anymore. I’m a man now, and I need te live as one.”  
“So yer a man, aye? Well, then ye’ll take yer punishment as a man without complaint.” He looked at Skylar, having been told she had come with Young Ian by his wife, and said, “My apologies, lass. I dinna want the first impressions of us to be so poor by such a bonny young lady. Ye can blame my son here for that.”  
“I usually blame him for everything anyways,” Skylar joked. But the look she got from her friend shut her up real quick. His father still laughed however. But then things went back to serious.  
“Ian, ye and Fergus gather yer things and bring them te yer room. I will take yer friend to the guest chambers. And then, Ian, meet me out back. Aye?”  
“Aye,” Ian answered solemnly. He turned quickly, avoiding Skylar’s eye, and he and Fergus left.  
“Come, lass. I’ll show ye where ye’ll be sleepin’.”  
“Thank you.”  
“Remind me yer name, lass?” he asked as they started up the stairs. “Jenny told me but in my age it slipped me mind.”  
“Skylar, sir.”  
“It’s verra nice te meet ye, Skylar. I’m called Ian, Young Ian’s namesake. Jenny is me wife, his mother.”  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”  
Older Ian led them into a room that was made up of a bed and a wardrobe with a window on the wall, looking out over the field in the back of the house. Another carpet made up of awe-inspiring stitching laid on the floor. A small number of candles were littered around the room, and a smaller tapestry was hung behind the bed.  
“I hope this’ll do fer ye, Skylar.”  
“It’s wonderful, thank you.”  
“Ye seem like a verra nice lass. I’m glad Young Ian’s found someone who can be a good influence on him. Any chance of somethin’ more t’wixt ye both then friendship?”  
Skylar’s face turned bright red instantly. “Oh, n-no. We’re, um, we-we’re just friends.”  
“Dinna fash, lass. I’m just kiddin’ ye.” She let out a nervous, relieved chuckle. “Now, I have te go find me boy. Make yerself comfortable, Skylar.”  
“Thank you, sir.” He smiled and left.  
Skylar took a moment to walk around the room, memorizing every detail. She was interrupted by voices she knew in the hall. She looked out and saw Young Ian and Fergus coming back down from having put his belongings away.  
“Hey,” she called to them. They joined her at her door. “So, how much trouble do you think you’re in?” she asked.  
“A good plenty,” he answered. “I saw the belt Da’s wearin’. I’m no goin’ te be able te sit fer a week.”  
“That’s your punishment?” Skylar exclaimed. “He’s going to hit you with his belt?”  
“Aye. It’s how all us boys get punished for our larger crimes.”  
“There’s nothing else he can have you do?”  
Ian shook his head. “I’ve got to prove I’m the man I claim te be and get it done with.” Without another word, he left.  
“That’s insane!” Skylar went on when Ian was gone. “How is that an okay punishment?”  
“Well, how were you punished by your parents?” Fergus asked.  
She shrugged. “I was grounded.”  
“Grounded?”  
“I wasn’t allowed to leave the house or do anything fun or see my friends for a period of time.”  
“And you’d rather that than a quick whack? Being grounded, as you say, sounds worse.”  
It wasn’t just the punishment she didn’t like. It was the person receiving it. She didn’t want Ian to get hurt. It practically hurt her. Fergus could see this and wanted to get her mind off of it.  
“Come with me,” he said. “I will introduce you to some of Ian’s siblings.”  
They went downstairs and meant to go out to the courtyard. But on their way, they managed to meet Ian’s older sister Maggie, his sister Caitlin and his brother Young Jamie and two of his kids Caroline and Matthew.  
“You need to stop introducing me as Ian’s lass,” Skylar scolded as they walked outside.  
“But you are,” Fergus responded plainly.  
“But I’m not.”  
“But you are. If not right now, verra soon.”  
She stopped him and asked, “Why are you so convinced Ian and I are in love with each other? It couldn’t be more plain to see that we are just friends.”  
“Au contraire, ma soeur, but it is so clearly the opposite.” Skylar didn’t move from in front of him, staring very intensely at him. “Come, Skylar, can you truly look me in the eye and say you no have romantic feelings for Young Ian?” He got down to her level and looked her directly in her eyes. “If you can do that, I will never say it again.”  
For some reason, she was having a very difficult time forming those words.  
_Say it! Say you don’t feel that way for him! Why can’t you say it!_ she screamed at herself.  
She licked her lips and finally said, “I am not in love with Ian.” She almost did it, but she looked down from Fergus for the second half of the phrase, and she felt her face get hot saying it.  
Fergus smirked and said, “You are a terrible liar, ma soeur.”  
“Well you…are an idiot, mon frere.” She turned her back to him and started to walk away. But he caught up with her and grabbed her around her waist.  
“Oh, I’m an idiot, aye?”  
“Aye, aye, you are. Now let me go!” She was trying to be angry at him, but she started laughing instead. She could never stay angry at Fergus, no matter what he did.  
“I think I will keep you with me actually.” He started swinging her around.  
“Fergus, stop!” she playfully screeched.  
“Am I still an idiot?”  
“Yes!”  
He continued to swing her, both laughing and having fun until they heard someone say, “Fergus?”  
He looked, and immediately put Skylar down. Once everything stopped spinning, Skylar was able to see that the person who joined them was a girl who looked only a few years older than herself and the same height. She had long blonde that was put into a single braid at the moment. She was very pretty.  
“Marsali, hello,” Fergus greeted her.  
“I didna ken ye were comin’.”  
“It was just decided a few days ago, and we left right away. Of course I would have written if I had time to.”  
Skylar looked from Marsali to Fergus and saw how they looked at each other, and how nervous her surragate brother was.  
“I’m Skylar,” she spoke up, seeing as Fergus was not going to introduce her himself. “It’s really nice t-”  
“Aye,” Marsali interrupted, very coldy. She gave Skylar a once over then said, “I jest came because Joan and I had made some bread and we wanted te bring some to Mrs. Murray.”  
“Won’t you stay, please? For a moment?” Fergus was basically begging.  
She gave Skylar another hard look then said, “I have te get home, Ma’s expectin’ me.”  
“I will see you soon, though?” he asked.  
She gave a sweet smile and said, “Aye, ye will.” She gave a side glare to the American one last time, then went inside.  
“What the hell is her problem?” Skylar asked no one in particular, crossing her arms. She looked up at Fergus and saw him still staring at the door Marsali had disappeared into with a look mixed with adoration and enchantment. “Seriously, Fergus?” He came back to Earth and looked at her.  
“What was that, Sky?”  
“You really make fun of me for falling for Ian, which I haven’t, and here you are being absolutely enamored with this girl.”  
“But the difference is you dinna hear me denying it, do you?” He gave her a smug smirk, and Skylar just rolled her eyes, bringing the subject back to him.  
“Well, who is she? And why haven’t you told me about her?”  
Fergus’ eyes lit up as he talked about her. “Her name is Marsali Mackimmie. I’ve known her since she was young. Her mother kept her away from all of us when Milord and I lived here, so I didna really know her until she grew up. Then about two years ago, before Milord took me with him to Edinburgh, she was here one day to help Mistress Murray with the young children; and I had no seen her in a long time. And when I saw her that day, she just took my breath away. I had never seen a woman so beautiful. She and I just talked until it was past dark. We tried to see each other as much as we could, though it had to be in secret as Milord and her mother would no have approved. That fact did not stop us though. And when I had to leave for Edinburgh, I asked her if she would allow me to court her, and she said yes. So we have been writing to each other every day.”  
“Why didn’t you tell me any of this?”  
“Because Milord canna know. Not yet.”  
“Why?”  
“Because…Marsali…is his step-daughter.”  
Skylar’s eyes went wide. “What?!” she exclaimed. “What do you mean she’s his step-daughter?!”  
“Shhhhhhhhh!” Fergus quieted her, pushing her into any empty shed. “Do you remember when I told you that he married a woman after Milady that I do not care for?”  
“Yes.”  
“Well, Marsali is her eldest daughter.”  
“You’re courting the daughter of a woman that you hate and that Jamie hates?”  
“Marsali is nothing like her. She is sweet and kind and would not hurt anyone.”  
“I’m sorry, did you not see the way she was treating me? She was looking at me like I killed her dog or something.”  
“I’m sure she didna mean it. She just doesn’t know you. Once you are able to get to know her, you will see, she is so wonderful and you will be such good friends. But please, Skylar, do not tell Milord. I am going to tell him soon, just not yet.”  
She took a breath. “You’re my brother, Fergus. I love you and you being happy makes me happy. I won’t tell him, I promise.”  
Fergus smiled widely and kissed her cheek. “Thank you, mon soeur. I am truly grateful. And in exchange, I will not tell Ian you love him.”  
“Omigod,” Skylar muttered under her breath, and walked out of the shed with Fergus behind her laughing.  
As they walked back into the courtyard, they saw Young Ian coming down the front steps, looking very uncomfortable.  
“Ian,” Skylar called and jogged to him. She met him at the bottom of the steps. “Are you okay?”  
“Aye,” he said, though clearly in some pain. “He didna go as hard as I thought he was going te. It was no stroll in the meadow though. But it’s done. And I dinna regret runnin’ away because of it. Those weeks with Uncle Jamie were the happiest I’ve had in a long while.”  
Skylar chuckled and put a hand on his face, “I love you, Youngin’. But God, you can be stupid sometimes.”  
Ian smiled at her, and the look he gave her looked familiar. It was similar to how Fergus looked at Marsali. Her breath caught in her throat and she dropped her hand, looking away.  
_He doesn’t…he couldn’t, right? No, there’s no way,_ she thought.  
Her thoughts were broken by a tug on her dress. She looked down and saw a small girl pulling her skirt.  
“Hi,” Skylar said, smiling and squatting down to be closer to her level. “What’s your name?”  
“Angelica,” the little girl replied, rocking back and forth on her feet. “Yer pretty.”  
“Aw, thank you, sweetie. So are you.” Angelica smiled broadly and bounced up and down.  
“Come with me, come with me! I want te show ye!” Angelica took Skylar’s hand in her own tiny one and pulled her away. Skylar looked back at Fergus and Ian laughing.  
Angelica brought Skylar under the archway to a tree. At the base of the tree it appeared that the little girl had built a sort of tiny house. There was a pathway made out of tiny pebbles that led up to the house, which itself was built out of sticks and flowers stuck in randomly. The roof was made out of two giant leaves.  
“It’s fer the faeries,” Angelica told her. She got on her hands and knees and pulled Skylar’s hand, silently telling to get down too, which she did. Angelica then went on to explain how the house worked. “When the faeries get tired and want te rest, they walk up the path and sleep on the bed.” She pointed inside where there was a small rock with some grass on it, meant to be a bed. There were flower petals scattered on the floor of the little home, and more pebbles and a couple pinecones decorated it as well. “I leave breadcrumbs and cookie crumbs fer them te eat.” She pointed to two mini piles of said crumbs that looked untouched.  
“This is lovely, Angelica,” Skylar complimented. “The faeries are so lucky to have such a beautiful home to live in.”  
“Angus says faeries are no real, that they’re tales fer bairns.”  
“Well, I can tell you that Angus is wrong. Faeries are absolutely real.”  
Angelica’s face lit up. “Really?”  
“Really. I have a friend back home, his name is Peter, and one of his best friends is a faerie. I’ve met her. Her name is Tinkerbell.”  
The small girl’s eyes were the size of dinner plates and her smile took up half of her face. “Can Tinkerbell come to the house I made?”  
“If you keep believing in faeries and think it super hard, I’m sure she’ll find her way here.”  
“Angelica?” a voice called from behind them. Skylar turned her head and saw Maggie walking towards them.  
“Ma!” she exclaimed. She jumped up and ran to her mother, hugging her tight.  
“Uncle Ian told me ye were over here with a friend.”  
“Skylar said she has a friend who’s a faerie! Her name is Tinkerbell and she’s goin’ te come visit!”  
“Is she now?” Maggie looked at Skylar with a smile. She stood up and dusted herself off. “Why don’t ye go inside, my darlin’. Grannie is waitin’ fer ye fer yer bath.”  
Angelica waved goodbye to Skylar and ran off. Skylar walked over to Maggie.  
“I-I know I shouldn’t have given her another fairy tale to believe. I just thought it would make her happy,” she apologized.  
“Dinna fash. I’m glad ye did. I’d like te keep her innocence fer as long as I can. Come inside, won’t ye? Supper will be ready soon.” She and Skylar made their way back to the house, chatting lightly.  
While dinner was getting prepared, Young Ian and Fergus helped Older Ian and Young Jamie with the farm work in the back while Skylar volunteered to be the child wrangler. She helped Janet, another of Ian’s sisters, and Maggie watch the younger kids and help keep them entertained. Ian’s family was shocked by how quick the kids took to Skylar. She currently had them all sitting quietly in front of her as she told them the story of Cinderella.  
“Alright, a bhobain,” Jenny announced to the children. “Inte the kitchen fer supper.”  
“Can Skylar come?” Caroline asked.  
“No, m'eudail. She’ll be eatin’ with the grownups.”  
Mumbles of disappointment rippled throughout the group.  
“Maybe, if it’s okay with your parents, I can tell you one more story after. But you have to go eat first.”  
With another story to look forward to, the kids sprinted off.  
“Slow in the kitchen, ye hear?” Jenny called after them.  
As everyone else gathered in the dining room, Young Ian and Fergus wandered in as well, faces flushed from their work. They sat on either side of Skylar.  
Ian tried to keep his groan quiet as he sat down.  
“Are you okay?” Skylar whispered to him, having heard it.  
“I’ll be fine, Yank. Ye dinna need to worry.” He smiled his contagious smile at her, and she returned it.  
She remembered the look he gave her earlier, the one that was similar to how Fergus looked at the girl he was in love with. The thought again entered her head, but this time she didn’t try to stop it. Instead, she indulged it.  
_What if Ian does like me? What if he told me? How would I react?_  
She tried to think back and see if there were other times he looked at her like that. She never paid attention. He always acted the same with her as she did with him.  
_Have I looked at him like that and not realized?_ That thought made her heart race. Did he think she had feelings for him? Was he having these same thoughts as well?  
She was brought out of her head when Jenny spoke to her. “I apologize, Skylar, fer ye bein’ stuck with the little ones all day. I’m sure ye were ready te rip yer hair out.”  
“Not at all,” she replied. “They were wonderful.”  
“How did ye come up with that Cinderella story?” Janet asked.  
“Oh, um…my-my mother told it to me.”  
“Where is yer family?” Jenny questioned. “Are they back in the Colonies.”  
“Um,” she looked down, playing with her fork, “no. No they’re not.”  
Fergus put his hand on her shoulder and answered for her, “Her parents were killed by Redcoats when they came here.”  
“What?” Young Ian said, looking at her a little shocked.  
“I’m so sorry, lass,” his father told her. “Those damn English think they’re entitled to anyone and anything. And if they dinna get it…” He was getting more heated as he spoke, but he stopped himself. “I apologize. I dinna mean to bring up bad memories.”  
“It’s okay,” she said faintly. She did a quick grab of her necklace charm then went back to eating.  
Conversation shifted and the rest of the meal went by cheerfully. They all took turns telling jokes or stories of people in their village. Katherine, yet another sister, had apparently made it her mission to embarrass Young Ian as much as possible and told Skylar all the stories of him growing up that she could think of. Skylar’s face was hurting by the time dinner was over from laughing and smiling so much.  
As promised, she gave the children one more story before they all went to bed. This time, she told the story of The Little Mermaid, which they listened to, fascinated. Even the rest of the family stayed to hear it.  
At one point, Jenny looked over at Young Ian and saw his eyes were glued to the storyteller. He was so happy looking at her, and the expression he had towards her was like he thought she was the one responsible for the sun coming up each morning. Jenny kept an eye on the two of them at dinner and she could easily see just how highly they regarded each other. She just wondered if they themselves knew.  
Once the kids were put to bed, the adults slowly started excusing themselves for the night as well. One of the last few, Skylar and Ian left.  
Knowing they were separating for who knows how long, they laid down together on Skylar’s guest bed, just to spend a little extra time together.  
“Why did ye no tell me about yer parents?” he asked her.  
She shrugged. “You never asked. And it’s not something I exactly like talking about.”  
“I saw ye touch yer necklace when it was brought up. Did they give that te ye?”  
“Yeah,” she told him, holding onto it. “My mom gave it to me for my birthday, right before. I never take it off.”  
She didn’t miss anything about her old life. She was so much happier here than she ever was in the 21st Century. But she did miss her mom. She missed her mom before she came here as well but living in a time where she wasn’t even going to exist for another 200 some years made her miss her more. She had been gone for two years before her adventure started. Her sickness took her quickly. Skylar was glad that she didn’t have to suffer for too long, but she would’ve given anything to have more time with her. She was glad she had the necklace though. It made her feel like she carried a part of her mother with her.  
“Your family’s really nice,” she said, moving on.  
“They have their moments.”  
“You’re dad’s really handsome,” she joked , trying to cheer him up.  
“Yank, stop,” he said, though he laughed.  
“I’m just saying, if he wasn’t already married…”  
“I’m goin’ te be sick.” They continued to make each other laugh for close to an hour until Janet came in.  
“Ian, Ma says it’s time fer bed.”  
Ian’s face dropped. He had forgotten for a while that he was home and was back under the thumb of his parents.  
“I’ll be in in a minute,” he said. Janet gave a nod and left. Ian sighed and sank his head back into the pillow. “Please dinna make me stay, Yank. I’m gonna blow me brains out here.”  
“Stop that.” She propped herself on her elbow and looked at him. “You’re going to be fine.”  
“They’re never goin’ te let me on my own. Not until I’m married with a family’a me own.”  
That made Skylar sick. Imagining Ian married to some woman and having kids with her, she clenched her fist tight to try to make her stomach hurt less.  
Why did that affect me so much? she thought, lying in bed. Ian had left her a while ago, but she was still wide awake. She couldn’t get the thought of Ian with another woman out of her head, and how her chest got tight thinking about it.  
I don’t like him. I can’t.  
She finally fell asleep and, to her shock the next morning, had a dream about her and her just friend married with children.


	8. Fer Good

The next morning was nowhere near as cheerful as the previous night. Skylar and Ian were going very slowly helping pack up the horses, hoping to prolong the inevitable. Unfortunately, the time had come.   
The whole Murray family had gathered outside to say goodbye to Skylar and Fergus. Skylar seemed to have a child hanging off of her from whichever angle you looked.  
“Dinna go,” Angelica begged, holding onto the older girl’s skirt.   
“I promise I will be back very soon to see all of you,” she told the herd around her.   
The parents were able to pull their children off of her and said goodbye to her. Jenny then came to her and hugged her.   
“Yer welcome here any time, dear,” she said.  
“Thank you, Mrs. Murray.” She touched Skylar’s arm kindly, then went to Fergus.   
Older Ian came forward and hugged her as well, saying the same thing as his wife. Then came the moment she was dreading. Young Ian walked to her, trying to hide how obviously upset he was. But he wasn’t hiding it well. Skylar was gritting her teeth to keep the tears back. When he hugged her tight though, a couple escaped.  
 _This is ridiculous_ , she thought. _Why am I like this? I’m going to see him again._  
They stayed embraced for a good 30 seconds. Neither wanted to let go and accept that they had to separate for who knows how long. They knew they had to though.   
When they finally pulled apart, Skylar said, “It’s not like we’re never going to see each other again. We’ve talked about this.”  
“I ken,” Ian said back. “I just dinna ken how I’m going te survive without me best friend.”  
She cupped his cheek tenderly and looked at him, committing every detail of his face to memory. Staring back at her, he was giving her the same look from the day before. A look full of adoration, fondness…and, love?  
She pushed his face away playfully, trying to stop her overthinking.   
_He’s just sad about us leaving each other,_ she continued anyway. _There’s nothing there._  
They hugged once more, and then it was time. Ian helped Skylar onto her horse and stepped back with the rest of his family. Waving goodbye, the two rode off. When Lallybroch was out of sight, that’s when Skylar let her tears quietly fall.   
They arrived back to Edinburgh after a couple days ride.   
“Welcome back,” Jamie greeted them when they walked through the printshop door. “Everything go okay?”  
“Aye, Milord,” Fergus answered. “Young Ian is home safe.”  
“Good.” Jamie looked at Skylar who was hugging herself around her stomach and looking down. He put his hand on her shoulder and tried to comfort her saying, “I ken it’s verra hard te be apart from a good friend. But this is what is best fer him, lass.”  
“I know,” she responded, barely above a whisper.   
Taking both of her shoulders and stooping down to try to get her to look him in the eye, he went on, “And I promise ye, ye will see him again. I’m bound fer Lallybroch in a few months time te visit Jenny. And I will take ye with me. Alright?”  
“Alright.” She looked at him and gave a sad smile.   
“Ye look exhausted from the trip, lass. Go lie down. Fergus and I will handle some of the business. And Geordie’ll be here in a minute te help with the shop.”  
“Thank you, Jamie,” she said and then went to her room without another word.  
She didn’t get much sleep, but she didn’t come out of her room until the next afternoon. And it wasn’t quite by choice. She could hear a yelling match going on and she decided to check it out. She walked up the stairs and saw Geordie and Hayes nearly at each other’s throats.   
“I tell you again, sir,” Geordie spat, making it very clear with his tone that he did not think of Hayes as a ‘sir,’ “that when Mr. Malcolm left this afternoon on his…other business…he expressively told me that this,” he shoved a piece of paper in his opposer’s chest, “was what needed to be delivered by the end of the afternoon.”  
This is what they’re fighting about? Are they serious? Omigod, I hate men,” Skylar thought, continuing to watch.  
“And I tell te ye again, ye pain in the arse,” Hayes retorted, “these are no the right papers. Mac Dubh said he wanted these,” he shoved what he thought was the right flyer at Geordie so hard he nearly fell over, “spread around for today.”  
Worried that the first shove was gonna lead to another, Skylar stepped in.   
“Hey, hey! What is going on?”  
“This piece of shite here is tellin’ me I dinna ken how te do me job,” Hayes simply explained, giving a death glare to the man opposite him.   
“You need not be a part of this, Skylar,” Geordie said to her, dusting himself off from his stumble. “This is not a place for a woman to step in.”  
He made comments like this all the time, demeaning her and being very condescending and always thinking he knew better than her. She learned to let what he said roll off her shoulder, but this time she spoke up.  
“Actually, I think I could be of great help to you here as I know just as much of how Mr. Malcolm runs his business as you do.” She pushed him to the side and picked up a page of each and looked them over. She sighed and rolled her eyes. She turned to Geordie and saw he was wearing a very smug look, expecting her to say that he was right. Instead, she said, “If you bothered to come off your high horse and actually look at these papers, you would see a very clear answer to why you are wrong.” His face dropped immediately. “Look at this date, June 18th, 1766. That’s marked for next week’s delivery. These,” she took the pages that Hayes was promoting while Geordie grabbed his from her hand, staring at the date, “are for today, June 11th.”  
Hayes was trying his best to hold in his laughter and amusement. Geordie’s face was nearly purple from anger and embarrassment at not only being wrong but being told he was wrong by an ex-convict and a woman.  
“Very well,” he spoke after a minute, voice straining. “Then you two will see to it that they are brought where they’re meant to go.”  
“Gladly,” Skylar said back, not deterred. Looking her dead in the eye, the young English man swiped his hand over the table, causing the correct flyers to fall to the floor.  
“Sorry,” he said, absolutely not sorry at all and went downstairs.  
Skylar and Hayes went to the floor to pick up and organize the fallen papers.  
“I swear, I could strangle him and enjoy it,” she said under her breath.  
“I’m no stoppin’ ye,” Hayes replied. “He’s a bug that’s beggin’ te be stepped on.”   
Skylar and Hayes gathered the papers and brought them to their regular spots, Madam Jeanne’s, The World’s End, and a few other taverns and places of business within walking distance in the city.   
“What’s on yer mind, lass?” he asked her as they walked back from their last stop.   
“What? Oh, um, nothing. I’m fine.” She was not. She was a million miles away, only focusing in when she had to. And Hayes could tell.  
“I ken I’m no the sharpest tool in yer set,” he told her, “but I’m not a fool. What’s troublin’ ye?”  
“I just…miss Ian, is all.”  
“Aye, ye were verra friendly wi’ the lad. It must be hard not te have him here with ye. The shop is a lot quieter without the two’a ye gabbin’ and jokin’ from dawn te dusk.” Skylar nodded in response, feeling sad just thinking about it. Hayes was able to read her body language and they continued walking back in silence. 

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The next few months went by as normal. The papers and pamphlets got out when they needed to, and the smuggling business was continuing to go well. Jamie had started to expand his customers to beyond what he and Sir Percival had agreed upon, which meant they were making more money, but they had to be very careful not to be caught.   
Skylar still missed Ian, but they had been able to send letters and were keeping each other updated on what was going on in their lives. She was writing and sending a new letter nearly every day, and from the constant incoming of mail from Ian, he was obviously doing the same. Every time a new one arrived, Fergus would joke about them exchanging love letters. Without Ian there, she hoped Fergus’ teasing would stop. But it didn’t. Every time he was mentioned, by Skylar herself or anyone, Fergus would take the opportunity to embarrass his friend. Lesley, and even Geordie once in a while, would join in. Hayes was able to see how much it bothered her though and would stop it when he could. He saw no need to make the girl sadder than she already was.   
Skylar was starting to become friends with Hayes. They weren’t like her and Fergus, or anywhere near what she and Ian were, but there were days when she would seek him out just to get away from everyone or to distract herself by talking to him about the most random subjects. She also asked him many times to tell her about Culloden and the Jacobite Rebellion. She had tried to ask Jamie about it before, but he was very reluctant to say anything. But Hayes would tell her everything, repeating the same stories over and over that she asked to hear.   
It was now late October. Skylar was alone in the printshop at the moment. Jamie was meeting with Mr. Willoughby and Sir Percival about finances, and Fergus was dealing with a customer on his own.   
Skylar was at the printing press, getting the supplies ready for what needed to be made tomorrow. She heard the bell above the door ring but thought nothing of it, figuring it must’ve been Jamie or Fergus.   
But she froze when she heard a voice at the top of the stairs say, “Yank?”  
She stayed frozen for a moment, not actually believing it could be who she was so hoping it was. She turned around and there, at the top of the stairs, was Ian. A huge smile grew on her face.  
“Ian!” she exclaimed and ran up the stairs. When she made it to the top, they hugged like they hadn’t seen each other in years. “What are you doing here?” she asked when they separated. “Did your family come as a surprise or something?”  
“Um, no,” he told her. “They dinna ken I’m here.” All the joy that Skylar felt started draining.   
“You ran away again?” He nodded. “God, Youngin’! I could slap you! Why did you do that?”  
“I tried te accept the life laid out fer me at home. I did the farm work. I listened te me folks. I did what they asked of me. But Christ, Yank, I was dyin’. I willna survive that place. And no matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried te prove te them I was no longer a child, they treated me as such. I canna be there anymore.”  
“You know Jamie is just going to send you right back. It was a miracle he let you stay the first time, remember?”  
“But this time, I’m no gonna let him send me back. I’m goin’ te have a spine and speak me mind. He’ll listen te me. He has te.”  
“I hope you’re right. God, it’s so good to see you, Youngin’.” She hugged him tight again, feeling the thousands of butterflies in her stomach and her face get warm at his touch. She chalked that up to excitement though.   
The reunited friends sat at a table in the shop, just talking and laughing, waiting for when Jamie would inevitably come through the door. When he did, Ian immediately stood up, trying to look as tall as possible.   
Skylar looked at the older Scot and saw confusion and concern flash across his face.   
“Ian,” he said, walking to his nephew, “what are ye doin’ here, lad?”  
“I left home,” he answered. “Fer good, this time.”  
Jamie closed his eyes and leaned over the table, gripping the edges tightly as a way to control his anger.  
“Christ, Ian,” he said, sharply. He stood up again and gave the boy a look that Skylar was surprised Ian didn’t waver at. Then he looked to the girl. “Did ye know he was comin’?”  
“I-,” she had started to speak but Ian cut her off.   
“She didna ken anythin’. She was just as shocked as ye are.”  
“Lad, ye ken what this did te yer parents the last time. Why would ye put them through this again?”  
“I’ve tried to tell them how I feel, but they will never understand. They only see me as a bairn and that’s all they will ever see or treat me as. It’s not right! I’m never goin’ te be treated like a man as long as I’m livin’ under their roof. I’m beggin’ ye, Uncle Jamie, please dinna tell them I’m here. Let me stay and work fer ye again. Ye saw how good I was!” Jamie looked like he was listening and actually thinking this over. Ian could tell. “If ye tell them where I am, Ma will drag me back and I’ll never be allowed out of the house. I’ll never have freedom again.”  
Skylar was holding her breath, desperate to hear what Jamie was thinking.   
Jamie ran a hand through his fiery hair and sighed heavily. “Fine. Ye can stay, and I willna write te yer mother.” Skylar had to will her mouth not to fall to the floor. She never imagined he would say yes. And looking at Ian, he must’ve thought the same thing. His body and face looked much more relaxed and relived and a grin lit up his face.  
“Thank ye, Uncle Jamie. I am truly grateful.”  
“But, with the freedom I agree te give ye, and if yer te work fer me, ye must respect me and what I say. I will treat ye like the man ye so wish te be, but yer still my responsibility. Ye hear me?”  
“I do. And I will.”  
“Good. Now, ye must be hungry.”   
The three of them walked to The World’s End where they met with Fergus who was shocked to see Young Ian with them but, of course, was overjoyed he was back. As they ate, Skylar wasn’t able to stop looking at him. He was so happy here; he was practically glowing. And seeing him beam captivated her. She also didn’t realize that whenever she would say anything to him, she would touch his arm or hand. She didn’t notice, but Fergus did.  
When Jamie took Ian to get some extra clothes, Fergus and Skylar waited back at the shop.   
“What?” she asked. He had been staring at her like he knew something she didn’t.  
“You could not take your eyes off him all night,” he told her. “And you were touching him every chance you could get.”  
Her face burned, but she ignored it. “So what?”  
“Skylar, you have to just admit it. At least to yourself. It will make things so much easier.”  
“There’s nothing to admit and nothing to make easier. Just, please…just shut up about it.”  
Fergus put his hands up in surrender.   
Jamie allowed Ian to share Skylar’s room again, but this time he got a spare mattress from Madame Jeanne’s for him to sleep on. That first night though, Skylar made Ian sleep in the bed with her. They talked long into the night, so happy to have each other again.  
When Ian finally fell asleep, Skylar was still awake. She found it hard to sleep, being so acutely aware that he was right next to her. She could even feel his body heat. She tried facing away from him, but that didn’t help. So she turned towards him again. Looking at him next to her, she no longer felt stressed or nervous. She felt so relaxed and at peace. She thanked God that she was chosen to go through the stones.


	9. Shared Experiences

Nearly four weeks later, Young Ian was thriving in Edinburgh. He kept his word and listened to his Uncle Jamie, respecting what he was told and jumping to do whatever the work was that Jamie threw at him. He continued to assist Skylar and Fergus with selling the alcohol and he was a great asset. He spoke like a true businessman and was able to cinch the deal more often than not. He finally felt like he was his own person living his own life, not having to worry about needing his parents’ permission for every little thing.   
Skylar and Ian continued to grow closer, though no one thought that could even be possible. It was very rare to see one without the other. Jamie was growing a little wary of their relationship though. He was becoming more and more tentative with leaving them alone. If they were in the bedroom together, Jamie strongly encouraged them, meaning he wouldn’t take no for an answer, to keep the door open. And he always had at least one other person around them wherever they went; even if it was just in the shop. If Jamie had to step out, he would leave Fergus to keep an eye on them. If Fergus wasn’t available, he would call on Hayes or Lesley. And the two he was concerned about were able to see what he was doing. They thought it was ridiculous; which they told him, many times. But no matter how many times they said they did not need a chaperone, nothing was going to happen with them, they were just friends, Jamie did not let up. Somehow, he still allowed them to sleep in the same room, but with the door open and him sleeping right outside. Skylar and Ian eventually gave up, knowing there was no point in arguing.  
Other than Ian’s very annoying uncle, Youngin’ and Yank were so happy to be at each other’s sides again. It was almost as if they didn’t have those months of separation. However, Skylar’s confusing thoughts and feelings were only getting worse. After that first dream she had about him at Lallybroch, they were becoming more frequent. And the annoyance she had felt with him talking about and checking out other girls was being replaced with pain in her chest and slight anger. Every time he touched her, be it her arm, hand, shoulder, it would burn. She found herself worrying about how she looked much more than she ever had since arriving to the 18th Century. Fergus gave up the teasing, understanding that it just made her mad. But he was definitely still thinking it. He knew the girl he considered his sister was still in complete denial and it was, honestly, worrying him a bit. He didn’t want her to let something pass that would be so good for her just because it was scary.   
But, all in all, life was normal. A routine was settled into and everyone was content with their day to day. But of course, that didn’t last long.   
“Where the hell is Fergus? The printshop is like, 100 steps from here.” Skylar was getting anxious. She, Ian and Fergus had all been having lunch at The World’s End when they saw Mr. Willoughby come in, which made them nervous. And they were right to be. Mr. Willoughby ended up getting very drunk very fast and was causing chaos at the tavern. Fergus went to find Jamie while Ian and Skylar stayed to keep an eye on the older man.  
“If Uncle Jamie doesna get here soon, I have a bad feelin’ we will get banned from here fer life. And worse fer Mr. Willoughby,” Ian commented.   
“We also have to go soon. We’re supposed to meet with William Archibald in 20 minutes. I also don’t like being this close to Sir Percival.” Ian glanced over to him as well. The Englishman was sat at a far corner, obviously not wanting to appear like he was mingling with commoners. He was meeting with Jamie in a little while and had come in early. The two teenagers were careful not to catch his eye. They didn’t want to bring his attention onto them as he knew they worked with Jamie and didn’t want to be questioned about them expanding their customer base.   
“Okay, look, I’m going to find Fergus and Jamie. You stay here and keep an eye on Mr. Willoughby. Make sure he doesn’t get himself in more trouble,” Skylar told her friend.  
“Why do I have te watch him?”  
“Do you really want to leave your best friend, who is a semi-attractive young woman, alone and defenseless in a pub filled with creepy drunken men?” She stared at him, waiting for him to answer. He opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn’t find the appropriate words and quickly closed it. “That’s what I thought.” She stood up and went to go when Ian stopped her.  
“Yer more than semi-attractive, Yank. Yer verra beautiful.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he kicked himself mentally, wondering what could have possibly possessed him to think that this was the right time to tell her that. She was going to think he was one of the creepy men she wanted to avoid.   
Skylar’s entire face heated up, not knowing what to say. She settled on, “Thank you, Youngin’.”   
She quickly turned and walked out.  
While looking for Fergus and Jamie, she couldn’t get what Ian said out of her head. He had never commented on her appearance before. What was it that made him do it now?  
 _Was it just because I called myself semi-attractive and he didn’t want me to be hard on myself? Or does he really think I’m beautiful? But it’s not like that’s a big deal. People can think other people are beautiful and not be attracted to them. But why am I worried about Ian being attracted to me? I don’t like him that way!_  
She couldn’t obsess over it any longer though, because she finally found who she was looking for. She saw Fergus with Jamie and stormed up to them.  
“Fergus, where the hell have you been? You’ve been gone nearly 15 minutes!”  
“I’m sorry. Milord was not at the printshop or Madame Jeanne’s. And when I found him I got…distracted,” he explained.  
“What do you mean you got distra-” She looked at Jamie and realized what he meant. She had been so focused on Fergus that she didn’t notice the extra person. “Oh. I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”  
She was a good bit taller than Skylar and looked around Jamie’s age. She had curly dark brown hair in a sort of bun. She had a soft and kind looking face with features that made her beautiful. And the way Jamie looked at her, it was clear they had not just met.   
“It’s alright,” she spoke. She was English. “It’s my fault for holding him back.”  
“Skylar, I’d like te introduce ye to Claire, my wife. Claire, this is Skylar, the lass I told ye I had taken in,” Jamie introduced them.  
Skylar gasped and her eyes widened slightly. She remembered Jamie telling her about this woman when she first arrived.  
My wife, Claire. She also traveled through the stones. She came from the year 1946.  
“You’re Claire?” she questioned.  
“I am. It appears you’ve heard of me.” The woman chuckled. “And Jamie has told me all about you as well.” Skylar immediately understood what she meant. She knew she wasn’t from this time. Skylar had a thousand questions for her. But she knew that conversation had to wait. She focused her mind back onto the important matter at hand.   
“Fergus, did you tell Jamie?”  
“Tell me what?” He looked suspiciously between the two.   
“We need to speak with you about our friend, Mr. Willoughby,” Fergus told him. That knowing look crossed Jamie’s face and he gave a nod. Fergus turned back to Claire. “Pardon us, Milady.” He gave her a huge smile and hugged her, elated at seeing her again.   
“It’s very nice to meet you, Claire,” Skylar said, still in awe at the woman in front of her. “I really hope we’ll get a chance to talk soon.”  
“I’d love that as well,” she agreed, giving the girl a kind smile.   
Skylar dragged herself from her and walked a little away with Jamie and Fergus.   
“Is Milady staying? With you?” Fergus asked, very hopeful.  
“I dinna ken yet. Hope so.” Jamie’s eyes had a light behind them that Skylar hadn’t seen before. She remembered how heartbroken he was when he told her about how Claire had left him. And now that she was back, it was like there was a piece of him missing that Skylar never noticed.   
“How long is she going to be here?” Skylar wanted to know. Jamie could tell how badly she wanted to talk to Claire and share her experiences. He knew how important it was for her to be able to talk about what she went through with someone who went through the same thing.   
“Fer good, I believe. Ye will be able to properly meet her, I promise.”  
Then, Fergus remembered. “What about…”  
Realization dawned on Jamie as well. “Aye. I havena had time te think it through.”  
“What are you talking about?” Skylar felt behind.   
“My, um, second wife.”   
“Oh, shit, that’s right.” She looked at Fergus, knowing that this could affect his relationship with Marsali. She knew he was thinking the same thing but tried not to let his face show it. “Is there any way you can get out of it?”  
“Perhaps. With Claire back, I’m not sure it’s even a concern. I need to consult Ned Gowan, have him advise me on the law.”  
“Aye,” Fergus replied simply.   
“But for right now,” Skylar spoke up, “there’s the issue we need to deal with.”  
“Right.” Jamie looked back at his returned wife and brought them a little further out of her earshot. “What’s to do with Willoughby?”   
“I’m afraid he’s been drinking again,” Fergus answered. “He’s provoked very easily.”  
“You’re the only one who can calm him down when he’s like this. Trust me, I have tried,” Skylar said, cringing at the memory of her one and only attempt at controlling him. Let’s just say, it ended with her learning new swears in Chinese and getting food thrown at her. “We’re also going to be late for business with William Archibald,” she continued, turning to Fergus.  
“Is it already 4:00?” Skylar nodded. “Merde!”  
“Dinna fash, lad. Where’s Ian?”  
“I left him at The World’s End to watch over Willoughby,” Skylar replied.  
“Alright. Ye two, get Ian and deal with Archibald. I will handle Willoughby.”  
“Aye,” was all Fergus said, and he and Skylar were off.   
“Where have ye been?” Ian greeted them, clearly frustrated, when they walked back into the pub.   
“What happened?” Skylar demanded. The situation was in worse shape than when she left. The music in the place had stopped and people watched while the man in question was getting yelled at and slapped around by a woman.   
“He licked her elbow! He just fully licked it!”  
Skylar took a breath, then said, “Never mind. Jamie will be here in a minute. We gotta go.” Without wasting another second, the three set out. They ended up being ten minutes late for the transaction, which Archibald used against them. He claimed that since they wasted his time, he should be able to get the wine and whiskey he wanted for only 20 pounds. Skylar was able to entice him to raise it to 40, but he refused to go any higher. Not wanting to leave empty handed, they agreed.   
“That was the worst sale we have had in weeks,” Fergus stated. The three were gathered in the room Jamie was able to get for him at Madame Jeanne’s.   
“Some money is better than no money,” Skylar said, trying to stay optimistic though bitterly disappointed.  
“I canna believe he refused the Crème de Menthe. And at a discounted rate, no less,” Ian added.  
“You’re surprised? That stuff is gross.”   
“Says the girl who cannot hold her liquor,” Fergus teased. Ian chuckled at his joke.  
She rolled her eyes. “I can hold good liquor just fine. But drinking literal acid is hard on anyone’s stomach.”  
“I suppose you would now, considering how many men buy you a drink practically on the daily.”  
“What are you talking about?”  
“I’m talking about how even just today, you received drinks from two separate admirers.” He glanced at the third person in the room. “Am I wrong, Ian?”  
Ian looked uncomfortable talking about this. He was pretending to be very busy looking at the arm of the chair he was in. He looked up for a second to say, “Aye, it’s true,” then looked away again.   
Fergus knew what was going through his friend’s head and wanted to see how far he could go.   
“Why do you never take these men up on their offers, Sky?” he went on to ask.   
“Are you truly asking me why do I not lay with men three times my age who reek of tobacco and whiskey?”  
“Not them. I mean the young good looking men who approach you. There are many of them I see every day who would die for that opportunity.” He looked at Ian from the corner of his eye and saw that his plan seemed to be working. His face was slightly red and tense, obviously gritting his teeth. His fists were curled tightly on the arms of the chair, and his gaze was fixed on a random spot on the wall.   
“Just because the women you’ve met have been desperate enough to go to bed with you at one glance, does not mean that I am.”  
“Though you have been playing with their affections, ma soeur.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“The way you look at and talk to these suitors. You do not just send them away. You keep them on the hook.”  
Skylar had been flirting a lot lately; and not just when she was trying to get an old man to pay more for alcohol. She was letting the men closer to her age approach her and buy her a drink and compliment her. And, yes, she would string them along and talk with them for a minute before excusing herself, never planning on seeing them again. She thought that if she tried to make herself interested in someone else, these intrusive thoughts about Ian would go away. Unfortunately, they did not.   
“That means literally nothing. You can swipe right on someone and not do anything about it.” She immediately bit her tongue, wanting to take the words back.   
_Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no._  
Fergus looked very confused. Even Ian looked over. “What does ‘swipe right’ mean?”  
“Uh, that…it-it means, um…it’s just a phrase that is used…in America. It just means, uh, to think someone is good. Like, in your mind you can swipe right on someone if they seem nice. Like, swipe them right into your brain. Or if they seem…not nice…you would swipe them out of your brain.”  
 _Dear God in Heaven, please let the floor open up and swallow me whole,_ she thought, watching their faces. They seemed to understand that word vomit of an explanation she produced and she moved on very quickly.  
“Can we please change the subject from my sex life, for the love of God?”  
“Do you have a sex life to talk about? I swear, I will no tell Milord.” Skylar grabbed a pillow from the bed she was sitting on and chucked it at him.   
“Shut it!” She couldn’t help but laugh though. “New subject, please.”  
They moved on to a number of random topics, ending with discussing dealing with their customers tomorrow. Skylar was going to spend the first part of the day working at the printshop while Ian and Fergus met with the first 2 on their own. She would then meet them to help with their last one for the day.   
She and Ian then said goodnight to Fergus and walked back to the shop. Luckily, Jamie was staying in his own room at Madame Jeanne’s, so they were left alone for the night. Not that that mattered and anything would happen.   
“Are you okay?” she asked him. She was in her bed with him on his mattress on the floor.   
“Aye. Why do ye ask?”  
“You just seem quiet. That’s not like you.” He had seemed down when they were with Fergus, he wasn’t his cheerful, smiling self. Something seemed like it was bothering him. “Was it our sale? That we didn’t make as much as we should’ve?”  
He hesitated. “Yes. I’m just disappointed about that.”  
“Well, we’re going to do much better tomorrow.”  
“Aye. Goodnight, Skylar.” He didn’t say anything more.   
Part of her didn’t buy what he said. This wasn’t just him being upset about a bad business day. But she didn’t want to press him. If he wanted to talk about it, he would come to her.


	10. The Fire

The next morning when Skylar woke up, Ian was already gone. She hoped he was okay. They went to bed with a weird air between them. She figured she would talk to him about it when they met up later.  
She found out from Hayes that Geordie had quit the day before.  
“Thank God and good riddance,” was her only response. She was so happy to finally be able to work the shop like she had wanted to from the start, with no self-entitled 18th Century douche bag to mansplain what she understood so simply and better than him.  
She really enjoyed printing; more so that smuggling. She liked that fine, but with printing she didn’t need to use her body as a tool. She enjoyed getting ink stains on her fingers and the soreness in her arms from using the press. She hoped Jamie would keep her on for a while, like as an apprentice.   
She became so absorbed into organizing both sedition and Crown friendly materials that she didn’t realize what time it was.  
“Don’t ye have te meet Ian and Frog at the harbor?” Hayes asked her.  
“What time is it?”   
“It’s ten of 5:00.”  
“Shit! Can you finish tying these and then hang these to dry?” She pointed to two separate piles.  
“Course. Now go!”  
She left and headed for the harbor.  
“There you are,” Fergus said when she found them. “We were getting nervous.”  
“Sorry, I lost track of time.”  
“With who, might I ask?” He raised his eyebrows.  
“With the printing press, really scandalous,” she responded, sarcastically. “McDaniel should be here any second, keep watch.” Fergus nodded and went up the steps.  
“Hey, you,” she said to Ian. He still seemed a little out of sorts.  
“Hi, Yank. I’m sorry, by the way, te have left ye this mornin’ wi’out a word. I needed te find Uncle Jamie with a question about our first customer.”  
“That’s okay. Did you find him?”  
“No, I didn’t. But I found someone else.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Uncle Jamie’s first wife, me Auntie Claire.”  
“You got to meet her?”  
“Aye, have you?”   
“Yeah. Yesterday when I went to find Fergus. She was with Jamie. She seems…fascinating.”  
“In the brief minutes I had with her, she truly does. I’d like te learn more about her.”  
They were quiet for a minute.  
“Hey, are we okay?” Skylar asked him.  
“What do ye mean?”  
“I mean, are you mad at me?”  
“A’course not! I could never be mad at ye.”  
“You just seemed, I don’t know, off yesterday. I wasn’t sure if maybe I did something or…”  
He hesitated for a beat, unsure of what his answer was going to be. “No,” he said. “No, ye did nothin’ at all. I was just um…tired and upset, you ken, about the sale yesterday bein’ so poor.”  
“So, we’re okay.”  
“Aye, we’re okay.” He smiled at her, but it wasn’t as bright as his smile usually was towards her.   
“He’s coming,” Fergus announced, interrupting them and coming back down.  
Skylar immediately took her hair down and fluffed it out. She also loosened the front of her dress to pull it down just enough. Ian pretended not to notice, when he actually had to force himself not to stare. Fergus, however, saw what she was doing.  
“Really, ma soeur?” He knew very well that her doing these kinds of things nearly always persuaded the buyer to spend more money, but it didn’t mean he liked it. He sincerely thought of Skylar as his little sister and he hated watching men ogle her.  
“McDaniel is our hardest customer. And if we want to make up for yesterday, anything goes. Unless, of course, one of you gentleman would like to use your tits for money.” She looked between the two. Ian was looking anywhere but at her, and Fergus just rolled his eyes. “Then shut up.” She went up the steps so she would be the first person he saw. She plastered the biggest fakest smile on her face and said, “Arthur McDaniel, the man I’ve been waiting for all week.”  
He appeared next to Skylar and gave her a look that he probably thought was charming, but actually made the girl want to slap him.   
“Miss Kelley, the only bit of loveliness on this dreary gray day.” He looked her up and down slowly, his eyes lingering on her chest for much longer than acceptable. Fergus and Ian both curled their fists tightly and shared a quick look, hating that she kept putting herself through this. Skylar disliked it more than the both of them did combined, but she did what she needed to do to get the money. And she always knew she was safe. If any of the men ever crossed the line with her, she knew her brother and best friend would bash their head in. So for now, she just kept smiling.  
“The brandy to your satisfaction, I hope?” she asked him, touching his arm.   
He took her hand. “I can assure you, I am absolutely,” he kissed it, “satisfied.” It took everything in her not to throw up, knowing what he was insinuating with the way he said ‘satisfied.’  
He kept hold of her hand and he looked back and forth between her chest and face.  
 _What I wouldn’t give for some pepper spray and a taser,_ she thought, forcing herself not to pull away.  
He took a step in towards her and was about to say something else creepy when, thankfully, Fergus intervened.   
“And what price are you willing to offer?”  
McDaniel’s head snapped to the French man, looking bitterly disappointed that he was interrupted. But he dropped her hand and walked down the steps. From behind him, Skylar looked to Fergus and mouthed, “Thank you.” He gave her a subtle nod in return.   
McDaniel took out the money and handed it to Ian saying, “Fifty for the lot of ‘em.”  
 _Big surprise,_ Skylar thought. She was right when she said McDaniel was their toughest customer. He always tried to find some way out of paying what was deserved.   
Ian went into businessman mode. “McDaniel, yer lookin’ at 100 pounds worth of fine brandy here. French brandy, imported from Cognac itself.”  
“It is a truly superior brandy,” Fergus backed him up.   
“Ye can charge more fer that and make a braw profit.”  
“Fifty,” McDaniel repeated, firmly.   
Skylar looked between the men, wondering if she should step in. Fergus gave her a signal to wait and let Ian handle it.   
“I like ye, McDaniel,” Ian went on, “so I’ll not be put off by your paltry offerin’. 75.”  
The old man stood, thinking for a moment. He then added more coins to the pile.   
“Seventy,” he said. “I’ll no go higher. Without the Crown’s seal, I’m the one taking all the risk possessing yer contraband.”  
Ian still didn’t back down. “75 pounds, and ye’ll get three casks of the crème de menthe as well.” Fergus and Ian both stared him down. The man was very hesitant and it seemed like he may not take the deal. Skylar decided she should help.   
She went next to him and put her hand on his arm again, letting out a dramatic sigh and feigning the biggest doe eyes could.   
“It really makes me sad thinking about all the crème de menthe sitting there, just wasted. It’s my favorite and I’d love so much to share it with someone else. It would make me so happy knowing others are enjoying it as much I do. You can spare a measly five extra pounds, can’t you, Arthur? To make me happy?” She dragged her hand down his arm and bit her lip, trying to look as helpless as possible.  
 _I want to drown myself in the harbor. Let this end._   
Staring at her, he licked his lips and sighed. He turned back to Ian.  
“What do ye say?” Ian asked, fighting the urge to punch the man.   
“I’m no a man to refuse liquors at no charge. Ye have a bargain.” He handed over the small pile of coins.   
“Ye’re a good man. Thank ye.”  
“I’ll send up a few lads to give ye a hand.” He looked back at Skylar and kissed her hand again, saying, “Until next time.” She smiled at him and he walked away.   
Once he was out of earshot, Fergus smiled at Ian and grabbed him by the shoulders.   
“Quelle performance! You even managed to rid us of some of that crème de menthe.” He looked to the other teenager still on the steps. She had her arms away from her body, head down and eyes closed. “Are you alright, ma soeur? You were brilliant as well. I almost believed you about actually liking the acid, as you said.”  
“I just need a minute.” She took a couple big breaths, then looked up and opened her eyes. “I need, like, three baths after that one.” She put her hair back in the ponytail and returned her dress to its proper place. She walked down to Ian, with Fergus passing her to get the brandy ready to pack, and he put his arm around her shoulders while hers wrapped around his waist.   
“Ye dinna have to sell yerself like that every time, Yank,” he told her.  
“I rarely have to go that big.”  
“I meant that-”  
“I know what you meant. You’re an incredible salesman, Youngin’. You could sell fire to a snowman. But, more often than not, sex is what sells. And, unfortunately, I’m the only one of us that can play into that. And if it helps get that extra five pounds, it’s whatever.”  
“I just worry about ye, is all.”  
“I know. And you’re an amazing friend for that.” She could’ve sworn that she saw a look of hurt in his eyes when she said that. It also made her stomach hurt to call him a friend. But she pushed both things away when Fergus came back.   
“The brandy is all accounted for, and McDaniel’s men are starting to load it. They’ll be coming for the crème de menthe soon,” he told them.  
Ian looked like he wanted to ask him something all day. And now he finally had the chance.   
He took his arm off Skylar and asked, “Do ye remember Auntie Claire all those years ago?”  
She looked at Fergus as well and could see him playing out the memories in his head.  
“I was no more than a boy, but I remember her well.”  
“Well, what was she like?”  
Skylar was also very curious. She hadn’t gotten the chance to talk to Claire herself yet and she was dying to. Another time traveler! She was desperate to hear her stories.   
“Spirited, and incredibly brave. Milady was fearless in the battles prior to Culloden. She would heal men who had been cut in half by swords, blown to pieces by cannon fire, without flinching. She saved many lives. Though there were rumors.”  
“What kind of rumors?” Ian asked.  
“That Milady took a few lives as well. She is not a woman you want to cross, mon ami. I am sure she would be more gentle with you, Skylar. But even then, I would not want to face her wrath.”  
“If Auntie Claire was forced to kill men, likely they deserved it.”  
“Even so, she has created a catastrophe, no?”  
“Aye.”  
Ian and Fergus then left to help carry the alcohol onto the ship.   
That was nowhere near enough information to help answer any questions Skylar had. But she knew Fergus didn’t know about the stones; so she would have to get the answers herself.   
When the transaction was over, the three went to The World’s End to celebrate. With the 3 sales they had today, they made more than enough to make up for the bad day yesterday.   
They were able to get a table, and Fergus went to get their drinks, leaving Ian and Skylar alone.   
“Wouldn’t Jamie be upset to hear that we’re sitting at a table without a chaperone,” she joked.  
“Aye. There’s no one to stop us from ‘getting into trouble,’ as he puts it.”  
“And just what trouble does he think will happen?” She obviously knew what he meant. She just wanted to see if she could get Ian to say it. He was always the one that felt the most awkward when Jamie would have these talks with them. He just stared at her, knowing the answer as well but not wanting to say it out loud. She laughed, making it clear she was just teasing him, and he laughed as well.  
“Yet he has no problem with Fergus bedding one lass after the other,” she went on. “That’s the problem with this world. When a man sleeps with 10 different women, he’s a hero. But if a girl lays with one man, God forbid before she’s married, she’s ruined and a whore.”   
“Though, I do think that if Uncle Jamie suspected anythin’ happened wi’ ye and me, he would no think me a hero. He’d probably slit me throat.”   
Though nothing ever will happen, she continued to force herself to think.  
Whenever the idea was brought up, Skylar would brush it off as a ridiculous impossibility. But the more it was suggested, the more she started thinking about it. And she wanted to bleach her brain every time an impure thought about her best friend crossed it. She sometimes imagined what it would be like to kiss him and have his hands on her body, and for them to finally-  
“To a master salesman!” Fergus cheered, snapping her back to reality. Her cheeks got hot at what her mind started playing out. But she just prayed neither would notice.   
“And?” she said as Fergus sat down, handing them their cups.   
“And to Skylar, who is not afraid to torture men to get the deal,” he teased, though being serious.  
“Thank you.” They clinked their glasses and took a sip.  
“Thanks to you both we made a handsome profit today.”  
“Ye think so?” Ian questioned.  
“Aye,” Fergus answered, then continued focusing mainly on Ian. “You have a natural gift when it comes to business, just like Milord.”  
“Though, it really was Yank who got him to agree,” Ian countered.  
“Stop that. You were the one that came up with the brilliant deal,” she told him.   
Ian took another sip, then said to Fergus, “I’ve been meanin’ te ask ye, does French brandy really increase the firmness of a cock stand?”  
“And there it is,” Skylar muttered under her breath. Whenever Ian and Fergus were together, the conversation always found its way to girls and sex.   
The Frenchman, practically forgetting his sister was right next to him, chuckled and answered, “Well, in my experience the result is quite the opposite, but all that matters is that I convinced the buyer that it does, non?”  
“Aye, ye had me convinced.” The boys cheersed again, while Skylar just leaned back in her chair, waiting for the conversation to change.   
“The three of us are a good team,” Fergus went on, much to her relief. “Perhaps we could venture to open a business of our own one day.”  
“As long as my role in that business doesn’t include having to show my boobs to old men, I’m in,” she stated.  
“I would like that as well. Deal. Ian?” They looked to the lad and saw he was distracted by something. Or someone, actually. Skylar followed his gaze and saw he was staring at a pretty waitress who worked in the tavern. The tightness in her chest was back and her stomach turned into knots.   
Fergus saw her too. “Ah, Mademoiselle Brighid. I see you watching her every time we’re here.” He glanced at Skylar and saw her gripping her cup very securely, and she was very clearly not comfortable about the situation. He came up with the same plan he had the other day when it was Ian who was upset. “She is enchanting, no?”  
“Bonny,” Ian replied, though it was almost like he was forcing himself to agree rather than actually feeling it.   
“She’s okay, I guess,” Skylar added, her comment going unnoticed.   
He look between the two and seeing that nothing was happening, Fergus took a more drastic action. He raised his arm to beckon Brighid to their table.   
“What are ye doin’?” Ian asked, a little scared. Skylar wanted to know as well.   
_He isn’t going to fix him up with her, is he?_  
That’s exactly what he was doing.   
“Tonight is the night you do more than just look,” he explained. Ian caught his meaning immediately and his face turned bright red. Skylar understood as well and was more than a little shocked.   
“Are you serious, Fergus?” she argued, feeling hurt and angry for a reason she didn’t understand.  
“Well, I’ve never…bedded a lass before,” Ian admitted.   
“Then this is your opportunity, brother.”   
“Well, how old were ye when…”  
“Fifteen. A ménage a trois.”  
“A what?”  
“Two women and one moi.”  
The young lad’s eyes widened at that. “Christ.”  
“It was a rather religious experience.” He seemed very proud.   
They then had a silent conversation where Ian’s face said, “Why are you doing this?” And Fergus just raised his eyebrows as if to reply with, “You know why.”  
Ian knew he was being given one of two options and, looking at Skylar from the corner of his eye, he couldn’t do the first one, the one Fergus had been pleading with him to do for weeks.   
So, he just swallowed nervously and said, “I dinna ken what te do.”  
Skylar had sat there long enough. Her fists were so tight that her nails were digging into her palms and she was about a second away from throwing up. She was so angry, tears were starting to sting her eyes. She had to get out of there.  
“Well, you’re obviously not going to make any progress with her if I’m sitting here. So, I will take my leave.” She stood up to go but Ian stopped her.  
“Yank, ye really dinna have to leave.” He sounded a little panicked. “Fergus is just bein’ stu-”  
“It’s okay, Youngin’,” she said, cutting him short. “It really is. Have fun.” She patted his shoulder and walked out, not looking back.   
Walking to Madame Jeanne’s, tears were falling down her cheeks. Her whole body felt heavy, like there was something weighing on top of her and not allowing her to breathe.  
She went into Fergus’ room and just laid on the bed. Her mind started battling with itself.   
_Why would he do this? Why would he push Ian to be with her? I don’t get it! I don’t understand! But why do I care? Ian can sleep with whoever the hell he wants. It’s none of my business! It doesn’t matter!_  
She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling while her mind shifted again.  
 _It does matter though. It does. You do care. Just admit it!_  
“No!” she yelled out loud. She pressed her hands over her ears, like she was trying to stop thoughts from coming in her head. Thoughts that contained the truth that she didn’t want to face.   
It was dark when Fergus got back. She hadn’t moved from the bed, but she had gone back to facing the wall away from the door. She heard him come in but she didn’t say anything.   
“What are you doing here?” he asked her.  
“Well, I couldn’t really go back to my room since I’m sure Ian will bringing Brighid there.”  
He could hear it in her voice how upset and in pain she was. He felt very guilty and was wondering if he had made a mistake.   
“Skylar-” he started, but she spoke first, still not looking at him.  
“Why did you do that?” she wanted to know. “Why did you tell Ian to be with her? You’re the one who is so convinced that he and I are in love with each other. So why would you want to push him to another girl?”  
“I thought, very stupidly, that if I made each of you think the other was interested in someone else, one of you would say something. But that didn’t happen.”  
“And you thought it was your job to make it happen?”  
“Something had to happen, Skylar!” he shouted suddenly, snapping. “For God’s sake, I was so tired of watching the two of you walk on eggshells around each other, saying nothing! For months! When he first was here, then through the letters, and now with him being back! It’s painful to watch you both be in such denial of something that is so obvious!” He took a breath and calmed down. He saw that she hadn’t moved, and he sat beside her. “I’m sorry, ma soeur,” he spoke again, much more gently. “I did not mean to yell. I just care about you so much and it hurts me to see you sad. I just want you to be happy.”  
During his speech, fresh tears started falling and her heart felt like it was breaking.   
“If you care about me, then please…please stop talking about it.” Her voice cracked as she spoke, which she hoped he didn’t notice, but of course he did.  
“Of course. If that will make you happy.”  
Skylar tried to close her eyes to sleep, but there was no way she could. Her mind wouldn’t stop reminding her that Ian was off doing who knows what with someone else. She didn’t know how she was going to see him the next day and act like she was fine and nothing had happened.   
Suddenly, yells started coming from the street. She didn’t look up though. Fergus, who had resigned himself to sleeping in a chair for the night, came over and looked to see what was happening.   
His eyes widened. “There’s a fire,” he said. “It’s at Carfax Close!”  
That got her attention. She sat up. “Where at Carfax Close?” She and Fergus just looked at each other for a moment before she leapt up and sprinted out. Fergus was right behind her.   
She ran down the street as fast as her legs could carry her. The worst was going through her mind. She prayed to God she was wrong. Unfortunately, she had been right.  
She stopped behind the crowd that had formed, watching Jamie’s printshop being engulfed in flames. Fergus joined her a few seconds later along with Mr. Willoughby whom he had found being thrown out of a pub. She stared at the burning building in a kind of trance. Fergus touched her arm, snapping her back. They shared a glance then pushed their way forward. They found Claire at the front.   
“Milady!” Fergus called to her when he saw her. “We came as soon as we heard. Where’s Milord?”  
Skylar was engrossed by the sight before her, but she heard it clearly when Claire said, “He went inside to get Young Ian.”  
Her head whipped to face Claire, horror on her face. She then looked at Fergus, him able to read her mind. She started forward, wanting to run inside the building, but Fergus was able to grab her instantly. She fought him hard.   
“Let me go! Let me go! I have to get him! I need to get to him!” she screamed.  
“Skylar, you can’t! Milord is going to get him out! You need to stay here!” he demanded.   
She stopped fighting, knowing he was right, but he still held onto her just in case.  
Tears were streaming down her face like a floodgate had been opened. Her eyes darted all over from each window to the door, looking for any sign of them.   
_Please God, please get him out of there. He can’t die. I can’t lose him. I love him. I’m in love with him. Please._  
Her breath got caught in her throat. She finally admitted it. What she had known was the truth deep down for so long but refused to believe and accept. She was in love with Young Ian. But she couldn’t dwell on this revelation. She was too worried about him getting out.   
A member of the fire brigade started pushing the crowd back, to keep them a safe distance from the flames. Skylar strained her neck to see around the man, desperate to see Jamie appear with Ian. She pushed against him to try to get him to move, but he pushed back harder.   
Each second that passed, more worry and fear filled her head. She felt she wouldn’t be able to survive without the boy she now recognized she loved.   
After what felt like two eternities, Fergus cried out the most beautiful words she had ever heard, “There they are! There!”  
Skylar heard Claire call out for Jamie, but she didn’t acknowledge it. She strained her eyes to see them, but she was too short to see over the man pushing her back. She finally saw Jamie coming towards the crowd, carrying his nephew over his shoulder. She exhaled, letting out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding.   
Claire, Fergus and Willoughby started pushing people away to make a path.   
“Quick! Clear the way!” she shouted. Skylar watched Jamie pass her and then was on his heels, following him to an alley across the street. “Get him on the ground.”  
She watched as Jamie set Ian on the ground, sitting against the wall. He was coughing like crazy from inhaling too much smoke. She stared at him through tear blurred vision, still terrified out of her mind even though he was out of danger and clearly alive.   
Claire knelt down to him and started examining him. “Are you alright?” she asked. He nodded.  
“You better be damn alright, Ian Murray. Or else I will bring you back to life just to kill you myself!” she yelled at him. He looked at her. Her face was very stern, forcing itself not to let anymore tears escape. She crossed her arms across her chest so tightly, her hands were nearly cutting off circulation in her upper arms. Seeing he was okay filled her with such relief it was almost overwhelming. But that didn’t make her instantly forget the pure terror she felt a moment ago. “I hope she was fucking worth it!”  
“Skylar,” Jamie said to her. He was sitting next to him, trying to catch his breath, “leave him be.”  
She kept her eyes firmly on the boy as he started speaking, “It isna me ye need to worry about.” He looked to his uncle and continued, “A man with a blind eye broke inte yer printshop, Uncle.”  
“What?” Jamie didn’t understand what he meant, but he didn’t like where this was going.   
“He found yer pamphlets.”  
“How?”  
“We started fightin’. He threw me against the panels and they opened.” He went into another coughing fit.   
“Alright, lad. Calm down.”  
“But he works fer Sir Percival.” That’s when the severity really hit Jamie.  
“Omigod,” Skylar muttered.  
“Milord, if he gives the material to Sir Percival, he’ll be able to arrest you for more than smuggling,” Fergus said. Skylar could see Ian start to panic. She wanted to calm him down and make him feel okay, but there was a bigger matter to focus on.   
“Aye, sedition is far worse. High treason is a capital crime.” He turned to Claire, as if to explain it to her. “If Sir Percival arrests me, he’ll be awarded a king’s ransom.”  
“I’m heart sorry, Uncle Jamie,” Ian said, truly feeling gut wrenching guilt. “I tried to stop him.”  
“Dinna fash, lad. It wasn’t yer fault.” Jamie started to stand up, which caused him to start coughing. Fergus grabbed him and helped him the rest of the way up.   
“What will you do, Milord?” Fergus asked, scared for himself as well, being so involved.   
He looked from Fergus to Skylar to Ian, and ended on Claire. “I’ll leave with these three fer Berwick tonight.”  
“Jamie, you need to bring Young Ian home to his parents, where he’ll be safe,” Claire argued.   
Ian looked up at her, wanting to protest. But the kind and definitive look she gave him didn’t allow him to fight.   
“Aye, alright,” Jamie agreed. “I’ll take the lad home wi’ me te Lallybroch. Sir Percival will not be able to trace me there. He only kens me as Alexander Malcolm of Edinburgh. But first, I have some business te settle.” He gestured for Fergus and Willoughby to follow him.   
As soon as Jamie was out of the way, Skylar took his spot next to Ian. He turned to her, and she just looked at him for a minute.   
She took his hand and said, “God, Youngin’, ye scared me as close to death as I could get. I thought I was going to lose you.”  
He gave her an exhausted smile and replied with, “Ye canna get rid of me that easily, Yank.”  
She let out a chuckle mixed with a sob. She swallowed to keep the tears that were threatening at bay. She put a hand on his face which he placed his hand over. She then lunged at him, hugging him as tight as she could, him hugging her back as strong as he could manage.  
“Promise me you’ll never scare me like that again.”  
“I give ye me word.”  
Jamie and Claire brought Ian to Madame Jeanne’s, having him sleep in Fergus’ room with Fergus and Skylar staying with him. Fergus took the floor while Ian fell asleep almost immediately in the bed. Skylar sat in a chair, knowing she wasn’t going to get any sleep.   
She watched Ian lay there peacefully, replaying the day’s events over and over; especially her accepting the feelings for him that she fought off for so long.   
_I love him,_ she kept repeating in her head. _I’m in love with Ian. How long have I loved him?_  
She thought back to when she first met him. She remembered feeling something she hadn’t felt before. She felt nervous and sick and dizzy.   
_Was that it? Did I start loving him day 1?_  
But now she had another problem to deal with, knowing at last how she felt about him and not knowing how he felt about her.


	11. Dilly Dilly

Skylar left with Ian, Jamie and Claire for Lallybroch the next morning, while Willoughby stayed hidden in Edinburgh and Fergus was trying to track down the blind-eyed man. They traveled as far as they could without stopping until the horses needed to rest and they made camp for the night, planning to leave at first light.   
While Jamie and Claire fell asleep, Skylar and Ian were still awake, talking. They were laying on their sides, facing each other.  
“I dinna ken how I’m to face me parents again,” Ian whispered, not wanting to wake his aunt and uncle. “Ma and Da were plenty mad the first time I ran off and got brought back. They’re goin’ te kill me this time most likely.”  
“They’re not going to kill you,” she told him, also whispering. “They’re going to be happy beyond belief that you’re home. I mean, extremely angry that you left again, but still.”  
“Da went easy on me last time with me punishment. I doubt he will this time.”   
“Well maybe you will finally learn not to run away and not say anything about you are.”  
“Are ye upset I came back?”  
“No, of course not. I missed you like mad when you were gone. But, I do feel for your parents. They love you more than anything in this world, Ian. They want to know you’re okay.”  
Ian dropped his eyes. “I ken. I dinna meant te worry them all the time. There’s just no other way fer me te get me away from that damn farm.”  
“Okay, this conversation is going in circles and it’s one we’ve had many times. Let’s just leave it and try to sleep.”  
He sighed and rolled on his back. “I dinna ken how much sleep I’ll be gettin’.”  
She squeezed his arm in reassurance. “Everything is going to be fine, I promise. I’ll be right there with you.” He turned his head to look at her and she gave him a small smile. He looked back up and the two didn’t say anything else.  
They continued on before the sun was fully in the sky. Jamie and Claire each had their own horses while Skylar rode with Ian on his. Sitting behind him with her arms wrapped around his waist felt different now than it had before. Other times when they rode like this, when they and Fergus would get out of the city for a while and enjoy some quiet, she thought nothing of it. She was able to just relax and enjoy being with her friend. But now it was different. She was too aware of who it was she was holding and her new feelings for him, or newly accepted feelings, made it impossible for her to think about anything else. Her heart was beating harder and faster than ever and she was scared he could feel it on his back.   
After several hours of riding, Lallybroch came into sight. They slowed their horses to a stop, just looking at it for a minute. Skylar saw Jamie and Claire exchange a look, having their own reasons to be nervous coming back. They continued forward while Ian stayed still. She didn’t need to see his face to know he was wearing an expression of uncertainty and anxiety.  
She tightened around her arms around him.  
“The sooner you move, the faster you’ll get it over with,” she told him. She felt him take a breath and he urged the horse on.  
Passing into the courtyard, they saw Older Ian coming outside, carrying a bucket of what was most likely chicken feed. He paused when he saw them, then turned back to the door calling for Jenny. He set the bucket down and walked down the steps. No one said anything while the group got onto the ground.  
Older Ian stared at his son for another beat then went to him and hugged him.  
“How could ye do that te me and yer mother? Ye didn’t even tell us where ye were this time.” He pulled from Young Ian and firmly took his shoulders. “Where did ye decide was better te be that here, hm?”  
“I was in Edinburgh, with Uncle Jamie,” he answered.  
The older man turned to Jamie, his eyes filled with anger and hurt.   
“With ye?” he repeated, taking a few steps in to his brother-in-law. “Ye looked me in the eye when I came te ye, out of me mind wi’ worry, and ye said ye didna ken where he was.”  
“And I am sorry, Ian, fer lyin’ te ye,” Jamie replied. “I was tryin’ te do what I thought was best fer the lad. Claire was able te convince me I was wrong.” Older Ian looked to Claire. But no one was able to say anything else because Jenny came outside at that moment. She stopped short when she saw Claire, not even noticing her son out of shock.   
She slowly walked down the stairs and stopped in front of the woman who might as well have been a stranger. She just stared at her for a minute, not sure of what to say. Skylar wasn’t even an actual part of this family, but she still held her breath, waiting to hear what would be said next.   
“Never thought I’d see ye grace me front step again,” Jenny spoke first.   
“Me neither,” Claire said back.  
“When Ian said ye were still alive, ye might’ve knocked me down with a feather.”  
“I know, it must be quite a shock. But here I am.”   
Jenny’s face was hard to read. She was clearly happy to see Claire, but there were other emotions she was trying to hide. Some that weren’t as positive.   
“Here ye are,” she stated.   
There was an awkward pause.  
“Please say something,” Skylar whispered as quietly as she could to Ian. “This is too uncomfortable I can’t take it.”  
“The longer she’s distracted the better. I’ll wait on me mother’s wrath as long I can,” he said.   
“Well, you look well,” Claire told Jenny, trying to keep the conversation going. “How are the children?”  
“Grown now. Some with bairns of their own,” she answered. That also seemed to remind her who else was there. She turned to look at Young Ian, her eyes getting watery immediately at seeing her son was home and safe. She walked quickly to him and hugged him. He hugged her back, feeling some guilt for what he did.  
“Ye had me worried half te death,” she told him. When she let go of him, she hit him over the head, just like last time.  
“I didna mean te worry ye, but-” he started to defend himself, but his father cut him off.  
“Better get inside, lad, before yer tongue gets ye in more trouble.”  
Young Ian looked between his parents and stalked inside. Skylar stayed where she was, watching him go for a moment.  
“It’s good te see again, lass,” Older Ian said to her.  
“Aye,” Jenny agreed. “I wish it was under better circumstances.”  
“So do I.”   
Jenny touched her arm, and she turned to walk inside. Both she and her husband giving an angry look to Jamie and Claire before they did. Skylar followed them and the last two behind her.  
Young Ian was already in the parlor and Skylar took her spot next to him. They shared a glance, not sure what was coming.   
“Jamie, why did ye not just tell me he was with ye?” his father questioned as everyone joined. “Yer sister was worried sick!”  
“Because if he had, ye’d have brought me back home,” Ian spoke up. Skylar put a hand on his shoulder, trying to silently tell him to shut up. He ignored it.   
“Aye, he’d have brought ye home where ye belong,” Jenny replied very simply.  
“Feedin’ chickens, when I could be in the city earin’ a wage.” The American girl knew he was just digging himself a deeper hole fighting them.  
“So that’s what ye were doin’? Earnin’ a wage, eh?” His father did not seem impressed.  
“Aye, and I was good at it too! Fergus said so. Said I was a natural. I sold 20 casks of brandy before we were forced te flee after the fire. Ow, Yank!” She had squeezed his shoulder hard and pushed down on him. She gave him a look begging him to stop talking.  
That bit of information got everyone’s attention.   
“What fire? And why did ye have te flee?” Older Ian demanded to know.  
“You had me son sellin’ liquor and consortin’ wi’ criminals?” Jenny added, directing that to her brother.  
“I told ye I would look out fer the boy, and I did,” Jamie argued. “Then there was a wee fire in the printshop.”  
Ian’s parents seemed like they didn’t believe a word Jamie was saying.   
“Wee? Ye would not be standin’ here if it was wee,” Older Ian shot back. “There’s nothin’ left then?” No one said anything in response.  
“So that’s why yer home, tail draggin’,” Jenny went on. “And with a stray.” She looked to Claire with a judgmental expression. “Just drop back inte our lives after 20 years as though nothin’s changed.”  
“Everythin’ was fine in Edinburgh, Janet,” Jamie said, stepping to his sister. “Then an agent of the Crown started extortin’ me. Sent his ruffian after Claire.”  
Ian perked back up, again not thinking before he spoke. “Auntie Claire killed him. Killed him good.”  
“Ian, you are not helping,” Skylar whispered sharply, keeping her hand firmly on his shoulder.  
He saw she was right. The tension in the room became suffocating after he said that.   
“Outside. Now,” his mother ordered him. Not happy to do it, but knowing that arguing would only make things even worse, he rolled his eyes and sighed, going to leave.  
“And ye better be where I can find ye when it’s time fer yer thrashin’!” his father called after him. Ian stopped and looked back for a minute, eyes going from his father to Skylar; and he turned the corner.  
The room was painfully silent, no one knowing what to say or just where to start.  
“Um, c-can I, uh…” Skylar tried to ask, pointing to where her friend had gone.  
“Aye, go ahead,” Jenny told her. “Perhaps ye’ll be able to talk some sense inte him.”  
“Thank you,” she muttered then speed walked out to find him.   
He was in the courtyard, leaning against the outside of his house. His arms were crossed and his face was turned towards the archway, looking less than pleased to say the least.   
“I’m no stayin’ here,” he said, not turning his head. He didn’t have to. He knew it was Skylar who had followed him out.  
“Yes you are,” she disagreed. “If you leave again right now, you’re only going to make the mess that’s already happening inside even bigger.”  
“I hate it here. I truly do. I canna be here another day.”  
“I understand that, but-”  
“No, ye don’t! Ye don’t understand!” Ian yelled, shocking the girl. He never raised his voice around her before. “Ye dinna understand how it eats me alive to wake up every mornin’ knowin’ all there is te do is tend te crops and animals! And it’s the same thing every damn day! Ye dinna have a borin’ life. Ye get to live in the city wi’out needin’ te answer te anyone. Ye dinna have parents that hover over ye every second of every day, scared out’a their minds if ye so much get a scratch on yer knee. Always needin’ te know where ye are and who yer with from the moment ye wake up te when ye go te bed. So dinna say ye understand how I feel.” Skylar grit her teeth, waiting for him to finish. He started walking forward, into the middle of the courtyard, and turned back to her. “When my Da was me age, he was fighitn’ in a war in France and then after, he came right back here and hasna left a single day since! I do not want to become him. I’d rather hang meself before I resign te bein’ a farmer.”   
“Are you done?” she asked. He just gave a sharp nod. She slowly walked toward him. “Do you know what I would give to have my mom and dad in my life, hovering over me and being scared when I get hurt? I would do anything, anything, for them to be here right now!” She sniffed and swallowed, feeling angry tears run down her face. “But they can’t. And they never will. I will never get to hug my mom again or go to my dad when I have a nightmare. They won’t be around to see me get married, have children. So don’t you dare ever take yours for granted! I know you think living here is so awful and boring. But you’re also safe and loved and protected. So no, I will not allow you to throw your family away just because you think you’re all grown up and don’t need them.” She looked away from him, wiping her tears. They were both quiet for a while, letting the other’s words sink in.   
“I’m sorry, Yank,” he said, softly. She looked back at him. “I didna…I didna mean what I said about me parents. I mean, I-I did but…I’m no makin’ any sense.” She crossed her arms. He walked up to her and stopped right in front of her. “I love me family, Skylar. I love them so much and I’m so thankful te have them. I ken how lucky I am te have parents who love me. I really do. And I never meant to rub that in yer face. I canna imagine livin’ knowin’ I didna have me Ma and Da in me life. I’m truly sorry fer hurtin’ ye. Ye ken I would never want te do that. I just need more purpose te me life then…this place.” She could tell how sorry he was and he did feel really bad about what he said. She chuckled. “What’s funny?”  
“I just remembered this story I know. About a girl who knows she’s meant for more than the tiny town she and her father live in, and she keeps saying there must be more than this provincial life. Reminds me of someone I know.” She smiled tenderly at him and cupped his face. “Why can I never stay mad at you?”  
He smiled as well and hugged her and she hugged him back.   
“Ian,” they heard someone say. They pulled apart and looked to the voice. It was his father. “Follow me.” He started walking. Young Ian looked at his friend. She looked back at him, her expression telling him he needed to go.   
“Come with me? Maybe if you’re there he won’t be too rough.”   
She did not want to watch her best friend who also owned her heart be beaten. But she wanted him to know she was there for him no matter what. “Of course.”   
He looked down at her hand and took it, making Skylar’s hand tingle and her face grow warm.  
“Ian!” his father called again, and they followed him to the back, hand in hand.   
It turned out, Jamie had convinced Older Ian to use a different punishment on his son. Instead of a thrashing, Young Ian would use cow manure to make what was known as “dung cakes” to use as fuel. As much as the smell made her gag and almost vomit, Skylar forced herself to stay outside with him while he worked and sat on a small table behind him.  
He shouldn’t be alone while doing this. That would just make it worse.  
They didn’t talk much. Ian just wanted to be done with this as fast as he could.   
“Ugh, I hate this,” he thought out loud. “Stinks like the devil’s arse.” Skylar chuckled at the comment.  
“If Ma hears yer cursin’-” his sister, Janet, started to say. She had wandered over mainly to make fun of her brother. But Ian interrupted her.  
“No one likes a wee clype, Janet.”   
Skylar found it entertaining watching the siblings argue. It reminded her of her foster home.  
“Yer gettin’ covered in muck,” Janet teased, walking closer to him.   
“Well, yer covered in foxtails, so there.”  
“Oh, good one, Youngin’,” Skylar joked sarcastically. Ian sent her a glare and she backed off, laughing.   
“Tis no fair. Ye run away and ye don’t even get yer thrashin’,” Janet whined.  
“This is a boy’s task. Matthew should be doin’ this. I’d rather get a thrashin’!” he said in the direction of his father who was watching the punishment carry out.   
“Please stop talking before your father changes his mind and grants that stupid request,” Skylar told him. Ian rolled his eyes and went back to his work.   
“Ye even got muck ‘round yer mouth,” Janet went on.  
“It isna muck. It’s whiskers,” Ian countered.   
Janet laughed out loud. “Whiskers? Ye?”  
“Aye!” He picked up some of the dung and threw it at her. Luckily, she got out the way.   
“Give him a break, Janet. It’s not his fault it’s physically impossible for him to grow facial hair,” Skylar added, laughing as well. Ian turned to throw some at her as well. “Ian Murray, you throw that at me and I swear, I will beat your ass! And you know I can!” He lowered his hand and turned back. She and his sister exchanged an amused glance, and Janet walked away.  
After she left them, Skylar decided she needed to ask the question she had been avoiding.  
“So, you never told me. How was your night with Brighid?” She felt sick bringing it up, wanting to just forget it ever happened. But in order to keep face that she was still just his best friend who thought nothing more of him then that, she had to.  
“Oh, um, it was fine,” he answered.   
“Just fine? What, did you not go through with it?”   
“No, I did. I bedded her.” She was glad his back was still to her because she was sure the heartbreak she felt from what he said was all over her face.  
She took a silent breath to compose herself then went on, “She didn’t live up to your expectations?”  
“No, it’s not that. She’s verra bonny and, uh, definitely knows what she’s doin’.” Each word just felt like another stab in Skylar’s heart and stomach. “But, I mean, we were interrupted halfway through so, it could’ve been better.”  
“Well, I’m glad the first part was good for you,” she lied. She realized that her fingers couldn’t stop taping the table she was on from anxiety, so she held her hands firmly on her lap.  
“I just thought…I dinna ken.”  
“What?”  
He turned to face her. “I just always thought me first time laying with a lass would be more…meaningful? I dinna ken the right word but…it just wasna what I thought it would be.”  
“Maybe she just wasn’t the right one to be your first. Because your first time is supposed to be really special and you should feel good about it and the person it’s with. At least that’s what I’ve heard. I don’t have any experience of my own to pull from.”  
“Aye, that’s probably it.”  
“Let’s stop talking about this. I feel very weird and wrong thinking about you having sex,” she suggested and forced out a laugh, using that as an excuse when actually the pit in her stomach was just getting bigger and bigger the longer they stayed on the subject.  
“Aye, absolutely,” he agreed, seeming relieved as well.   
“Okay, the smell is starting to give me a headache. I’m gonna go inside.”  
He sighed larger than necessary. “Fine. Leave me all alone with only the cow shite te talk to.”  
She rolled her eyes. “You’ll be fine,” she told him, sliding off the table and starting towards the house.  
“Yank,” he called to her before she got too far. She turned back to him. He stuck out his hand that was covered in manure and said, “Shake me hand goodbye?” He smiled jokingly.  
“You even try to touch me before you wash your hands ten times, I will strangle you, Youngin’.” She chuckled and continued into the house. She wandered into the parlor and stopped short when she saw Claire sitting alone on the couch. She looked upset. Her elbow was resting on the arm of the couch and her hand was cradling her head. Skylar thought that this might be the opportunity to talk to her, but she decided against it, not wanting to trouble her when she was already stressed. But when she turned to leave, she accidentally walked into a table she didn’t see and nearly knocked over the vase on it. She caught it in time and placed it back, swearing in her mind at making so much noise.  
“Are you alright?” she heard Claire ask.   
Not looking at her, she said, “Ye-yeah, yeah. I’m fine. I was trying to walk through without bothering you. And now here I am, bothering you. Um, I’m just gonna-” She was about to try to leave again when Claire stopped her.  
“You’re not bothering me at all.” Skylar faced her again. She was smiling very kindly. “Would you like to sit?”  
“Okay, thank you.” She went to the couch and sat down, suddenly feeling very nervous.   
“I’ve been wanting to find a time to talk to you.”  
“I have too.”  
She lowered voice and went on, “Jamie told me you’re from the year 2019.”  
“I am. And you’re originally from the 1940s?”  
“1948. That’s when I came the first time. I just left the year 1968 to come back.”  
“That’s so insane.” Claire gave her a slightly odd look at the word she used, only knowing the word as a negative. “Oh, um, ‘insane’ isn’t a bad thing. I just meant that it’s so cool. You’re really from the 1940s?” Claire nodded. “God, I could’ve used you during my World War 2 history exam.” They laughed lightly at that.   
“So, how did you come to be here? Jamie told me you went through the stones at Craigh Na Dun but…how?”  
They swapped stories on how they got the 18th Century. Skylar explained about her class trip to Scotland and hearing the buzzing and going back by herself. How she met Fergus and he took her to Jamie. Claire told her about how she was visiting Scotland with her first husband, Frank, and she heard the stones calling to her as well.  
“And you were here during the Battle of Culloden?” Skylar asked, excited.  
Claire’s face grew solemn and she looked down for a second. “Yes, I was. Right up until the day it happened. Jamie and I had tried to stop the battle taking place, but we were unable to. And that’s why he sent me back to my time. So I would be safe and…our child would safe and loved.”  
She had forgotten that Jamie had said she was pregnant when she went back.  
“And did you have the baby?”  
“I did. A beautiful girl I named Brianna, named after his father, Brian. She’s only a bit older than you.”  
“Unless you add the whole extra 70 years thing.” They laughed again. “Was it hard to leave her?”  
Claire took a breath and answered, “It was the hardest thing I have ever done. But I know she has people with her who love her and care for her and will make sure she’s okay. I’m sure it was difficult for you to leave people behind, when you decided to stay.”   
“I didn’t have anyone to leave behind. My mom died when I was 14, my dad’s nonexistent. No other family, barely any friends. It wasn’t a hard decision at all. I do wonder sometimes though how Mr. Morrison reacted when he found out I was gone. Probably ruined the rest of the trip.” She chuckled, though feeling slightly guilty. “But, yeah. It was the easiest choice I ever made. I felt like I finally had more of a purpose, a life and a family. I am beyond thankful every day that it was Fergus who found me at the bottom of that hill.”  
“Jamie is very fond of you. I can tell that he thinks of you as his own daughter.”  
“I think of him as a father, so that’s makes me really happy.”  
“And you’ve made a very good friend in Young Ian.”  
Skylar blushed slightly at her bringing him up. “He’s the best friend I could ever possibly have.”  
“You think very highly of each other I’ve noticed.” Skylar just smiled, too afraid if she said anything it would give away just how highly she thought of him. “What is it that he calls you?”  
“Yank, like a Yankee from America.”  
“Your own ‘Sassenach.’” The girl had heard Jamie call his wife this during their journey to Lallybroch. But she had no idea what it meant. “It means outsider,” Claire told her, reading her mind. “Or outlander. Which is exactly what I was when we first met. And it just stuck, I guess.”   
They continued to talk for a while longer, both asking question after question about their own times. Skylar had started to explain what the internet was when Jamie walked in.  
“I apologize. I dinna mean te interrupt,” he said.  
“It’s alright. We’ll talk more later? I need you to finish explaining what a ‘google’ is,” Claire told her.  
Skylar bit her lip to hold in a laugh and nodded. “I will, absolutely.” Claire smiled at the 21st Century teenager and went to join her husband.   
That was the craziest most insane and amazing conversation I’ve ever had in my life, she thought. She hoped they were going to be able to continue very soon.   
“Oh, Christ,” she heard someone mutter. She turned around and she saw Joan, who she knew was Young Jamie’s wife, carrying her newborn baby in one arm and a basket of laundry in the other. It looked like she was having a hard time getting a good grip on the basket. Skylar rushed over to her.  
“Do you want some help?” she asked.   
She just gave birth a week ago. She shouldn’t be doing housework like this, she thought.  
“I’m quite fine, Skylar. But thank ye.” She continued on a few steps, but then she dropped the laundry. She took a second to close her eyes and breathe.  
“Are you sure?”  
She looked at the American and smiled, looking absolutely exhausted.  
“Te tell ye the truth, it would be the biggest help if ye could hold Benjamin for a few minutes while I bring the wash upstairs, if ye dinna mind.”  
“I don’t mind at all. I’m more than happy to.” Joan kissed her son’s head then carefully handed him over.   
“He just fell asleep, so I’m sure he’ll give ye no fuss. I’ll only be a minute.”  
“Take your time. I’d love to watch him for a while if you wanna lie down.”  
Joan looked like she could cry she was so happy at Skylar’s offer. She touched the girl’s face and said, “Thank God Young Ian found himself such a kind bonny lass.”  
When Joan was gone, Skylar took Benjamin and sat on the couch. She watched the baby sleep peacefully and she felt very relaxed. She looked around at the room she was in. She let her mind wander free and imagined what it would be like to live here; to be married to Young Ian and raise their children here. She smiled at the daydream.  
The baby made some small fussing sounds which brought her back to reality.   
“Shhh shhh. It’s okay. You’re okay.” He drifted right back to sleep.   
Skylar suddenly remembered the song her mom would sing to her. She would always claim that she made it up, but Skylar discovered when she was a little older that it was actually from a movie. She still loved it though.  
“Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly, lavender’s green. When I am king, dilly dilly, you will be queen,” she started singing. “Who told you so, dilly dilly, who told you so? Twas my own heart, dilly dilly, that told me so.”  
Ian had finally finished the extra chores he was given for the day. He walked inside, going to look for Skylar, when he heard something and stopped. It was someone singing. He listened for a moment.  
“Call up your men, dilly dilly, set them to work. Some to the plow dilly dilly, some to the fork. Some to make hay, dilly dilly, some to cut corn. While you and I, dilly dilly, keep ourselves warm.”  
He followed the sound of the voice and it brought him to the parlor where he saw Skylar singing to his brand new nephew. He stood quietly, continuing to listen. She had no idea he was there.  
“Lavender’s green, dilly dilly, lavender’s blue. If you love me, dilly dilly, I will love you. Let the birds sing, dilly dilly, let the lambs play. We shall be safe, dilly dilly, out of harm’s way.”  
Ian couldn’t take his eye off of her. He was absolutely enchanted by her. It was as if she had put him under a spell, and he didn’t mind it at all.   
“I love to dance, dilly dilly, I love to sing. When I am queen, dilly dilly, you’ll be my king. Who told me so, dilly dilly, who told me so? I told myself, dilly dilly, I told me so.”  
Skylar stayed looking at Benjamin and smiled softly at him.   
“That was beautiful,” Ian spoke. She nearly jumped out of her skin hearing him. Then she felt incredibly embarrassed at him having heard her. He walked over and sat next to her. “Where did ye learn that?”  
Skylar looked down at how close they were, how close he had chosen to sit to her, and her heart started pounding hard. Ever since she had finally admitted to herself she was in love with him, she was overthinking and reading into everything he did.  
She looked down at Benjamin. “Um, m-my mother sung it to me a lot. She heard it from…somewhere. But it’s one of my favorites.”  
“You’re lo-um…” He started coughing, stopping himself from what he was going to say, and said instead, “It-it’s lovely.”  
She could feel him looking at her, so she made herself face him. Her eyes immediately locked with his. She stopped breathing. They just stared at each other, hardly blinking and not saying anything. In this moment, they were in a completely separate world. It felt like this went on for hours. But when Benjamin started crying and Skylar pulled herself away, back to the baby, she realized it had only been a matter of seconds.   
“Hey, what’s wrong, sweet boy?” she said to Benjamin, trying to fully bring herself back to reality. “I’m, um, I’m going to see if your mother has milk or something for him.” Her entire body felt like it was on fire, and when she looked at Ian, she saw his whole face was bright red as well.   
“Aye, um, that’s a good idea,” he agreed, eyes darting between her and the floor.  
She gave a quick nod and stood, walking normally out of the room through the kitchen door. When the door closed behind her, she took a second and leaned against the wall, trying to compose herself.  
 _What the literal hell was that?_


	12. Confrontation

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Skylar and Ian both decided, without talking about it, that they would forget about whatever happened between them and pretend like it never happened. Which was easier said than done. Skylar found it difficult to look him fully in the face and she couldn’t stop wondering what he had been thinking about during those eternal seconds. But she was able to fake it and played along like she felt nothing.   
What happened that night, though, changed everything in ways no one was prepared for.   
Nearly everyone had gone to bed. Jamie and Claire had just said goodnight and went up the stairs, with Jenny not saying a word to them. She looked to the other side of the room and saw her youngest son and his friend sitting close together, talking and laughing quietly; either unaware or just didn’t care that there were still other people in the room. She tapped her husband’s arm next to her and gestured to the teenagers. He chuckled lightly at them. But he could read his wife’s mind and gave her a look that said, “Do not embarrass our son like this.” Of course, she ignored him.   
“And what are ye two findin’ so entertain’ over there?” she asked them, making them jump nearly a mile. “Would ye care te share?”  
Realizing how close they had gotten to each other while talking, they quickly pushed themselves apart slightly.   
“It-it’s nothing, Ma. W-we’re laughin’ at nothin’,” Ian stuttered.  
“Nothin’, aye?”  
“Aye, we were just rememberin’ somethin’.”  
Jenny looked back and forth between them, obviously knowing flirting when she saw it; even if they didn’t know it.  
“Well, it’s getting’ late. It’s about time ye two went off te bed.” Knowing not to argue, they stood up to leave. Ian kissed his parents goodnight, and when he was about to go the stairs, Jenny reminded him, “Separate rooms this time, Ian. Aye?” Janet had told her that she saw them both lying in Skylar’s bed the last time and he had received a long and awkward talk with his father over it.   
“Yes, Ma,” Ian said, blushing.  
He joined Skylar at the stairs and they started up.   
“I’ll be checkin’ te make sure of it,” Jenny called after them.   
Ian stopped for a beat. He rolled his eyes and muttered, “Jesus Christ,” under his breath. They continued up, Skylar biting her lip to keep from laughing.  
When they were gone, Older Ian looked at Jenny and said, “He’s obviously taken wi’ the lass. Why torture him in front’a her?” Though he did find it very amusing.   
“I’m his mother. That’s my job.”  
Outside Skylar’s door, she and Ian chatted a little longer.  
“Please, Yank, please. If ye consider me a friend at all, ye’ll put a bullet in me head before ye leave me here again.”  
“Well, lucky for you, I don’t think I’m going anywhere for a while. Jamie’s not leaving here until he’s sure that Sir Percival isn’t after his head. And there’s absolutely no way he’s sending me on my own anywhere. So, I’m here for you to confide your misery in.”  
“Get ready fer plenty’a that.” He looked down the hall towards the stairs. “I should go te me room before Ma hears us talkin’. Because apparently that’s how a lass becomes with child, accordin’ te her and Uncle Jamie.”  
Skylar laughed, agreeing that the adults surrounding them were taking keeping them separated too seriously.  
“And it’s not like there’s a reason to. We’re no goin’ te get inte ‘trouble,’ as Uncle Jamie puts it, if we’re alone in a room with a bed in it.”  
That made her heart ache. She wasn’t burning to sleep with Ian any time soon, but him saying that there was no chance of anything similar happening between them only reinforced the idea that he did not return her feelings.  
 _Though I always said that as well. He’s just agreeing this time._   
Wanting to leave this conversation, she told him, “I’m about to fall asleep standing, so I’m going to bed. You should too.”  
“Yer right. I’ll see ye in the mornin’.”  
“Goodnight, Youngin’.” He hugged her and walked down the hall into his room. She kept watching where he had been for a few moments after he had closed the door behind him. She then walked into the guest room, acting as her own, and closed the door. She walked to the bed and just looked at it; then let herself fall face first onto it. She stayed like that for many minutes.  
 _Anyone else. Literally anyone else. Why couldn’t I have fallen for someone other guy? It just had to be Ian._  
Exhaustion suddenly overcame her and she felt herself starting to fall asleep. She forced herself up to change into her shift and get properly into bed. She expected to get little sleep, but before she knew it, she was out.  
She didn’t know how much time had gone by when she had been woken up by shouting. She sat up, trying to listen and see if she could hear who was fighting and about what. She could just make out Jamie’s muffled voice, but it was overpowered by a woman yelling who’s voice she didn’t recognize. She got out of bed and cracked the door open. The yelling was coming from Jamie and Claire’s room. She opened the door more just in time to see a woman she didn’t know being led by Jamie down the hall to the stairs. She was screaming at him the whole time. They passed Skylar without noticing her. A small red haired girl went running after them. Skylar watched the three go. And when she looked the other way again, she saw someone she did recognize.   
“Marsali?” The girl Fergus was secretly courting, and had decided she didn’t like Skylar for some reason, stopped in front of her door.   
“Ye? What are ye doin’ here?”  
“What am I…I’m just here with Jamie.”  
She gave her the same nasty look as the first time they met. “Oh, so yer friends wi’ that bitch then? Makes sense.”  
“What are you talking about? What’s going on?”  
“Ye dinna ken? Well, I would be glad te explain it. Yer English whore friend stole Daddy from my mother and has the nerve to flaunt herself around here.”  
Skylar pointed to where the insane acting woman and Jamie disappeared. “That was your mother?” Marsali just glared at her. “Are you sure Fergus wants to be involved with a girl that comes from that?” Marsali’s face hardened even more and she looked like she was about to punch Skylar. Thankfully, Ian appeared and grasped her shoulder.  
“Are ye alight, Yank? I didna think ye were involved in the shoutin’,” he said, looking between her and Marsali.   
She put her hand over his and glanced at him quickly to tell him, “I’m fine, Ian.” Then looked back at Marsali. “There’s nothing happening here.”  
The blonde’s eyes darted between the two in front of her. “Oh, I see then. Yer just sleepin’ around with anyone who’ll have ye. A whore, just like yer friend.”   
Skylar’s mouth dropped all the way to the floor. “Excuse me? What the fuck does that mean?” Marsali just walked away, not saying a word. “No! Come here and tell me what you-” She started to go after her, but Ian pulled her back.   
“Stay here, Skylar,” he instructed. “Things are messy enough.” He brought them into her room and closed the door. He knew everyone was too distracted to care about where they were.   
“How…I don’t even…what does she…” She was pacing back and forth, trying to piece together what had just happened.   
“Skylar, calm down,” Ian told her.   
“I met her one time. One time! I didn’t even do anything to her! She just absolutely hates me for no reason at all. I don’t get it!”  
“Marsali can be very hot headed, just like Auntie Laoghaire.”  
“I just don’t understand why she hates me. When I met her with Fergus, it was just like-”  
“Wait, wait, wait. Ye were with Fergus when she met ye?”  
“Yes. So?”  
“Fergus has told me that Marsali can also be verra jealous. Unleashing her wrath on lasses that come within half a mile of him.”  
“Seriously? She thinks I’m trying to steal Fergus from her? That’s the most insane absurd thing I have ever heard. He’s literally my brother! We may as well share blood!”  
“But she doesna ken that. All she sees is a bonny lass who he is verra fond of.”  
She put her hands on the back of her neck and let her head fall back. “Omigod,” she muttered. “And you think life here isn’t exciting.”  
He chuckled. “it’s never this excitin’. And I doubt it will be again. Are ye goin’ te be able to sleep again?”  
“Oh, I can almost guarantee you I won’t. But I can guarantee that Jamie’s so much on edge right now that if he finds us alone behind closed doors he may actually kill you so…”  
“That is verra true. I should make sure Janet is okay. She wasna in our room when I woke up. I will, again, see ye in the mornin’.”  
“Goodnight again.” He smiled and walked back out.   
Though she was certain she wasn’t getting anymore sleep that night, she got back into the bed.  
 _I swear to God, if TV was around right now, this family should have their own reality show. Keeping Up With The Frasers._  
Trying to relax after everything, she remembered that during it all, Ian called her a “bonny lass.” It was a small thing and he didn’t mean anything from it, but the fact that he said it made her happy. Thinking about it was actually able to calm her enough where she was able to fall asleep again. 

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It was very quiet the next morning. Hardly anyone said a word and tensions were high. The married couples were keeping their children in their rooms, not wanting them to get in the crossfire of shouting matches that were sure to come. Even Skylar was reluctant to go downstairs. She decided to help entertain the kids. She told them more stories and played dolls with some of the little girls. They didn’t seem bothered at all by what had happened, not that they were really aware of what had happened.   
She just walked back into her room after getting all of them down to nap. She collapsed on her bed, all of her energy gone.   
“It’s yer fault fer volunteerin’ te watch them,” she heard Ian say. She opened her eyes and saw him standing next to her bed.   
“I’m never having kids,” she stated. “At least not for a very very long time.” He chuckled and sat on the chair across from her.   
“I dinna blame ye. Bein’ surrounded by me nieces and nephews makes me wary of havin’ bairns of me own.”  
“You should check in with Brighid in a few years. Make sure there isn’t a little you running around that you don’t know about.” His face went pale and his eyes got very wide at that thought. She sat up. “Omigod, I’m kidding! Please do not panic!” She laughed as she watched his face relax.  
“That wasna funny.”  
“No, that was hilarious.” He took a pillow from his chair and chucked it at her. She blocked it and said to him, “Do not even start.” He just laughed in response and rested his head on the back of the chair.  
“When do ye think it’ll be safe te go downstairs?”  
Skylar shrugged. “I have no idea. After the living hell that took place last night, I wouldn’t be surp-” She was stopped by a gun going off. They both jumped up. “What was that?!”  
“It sounded like a gun.”  
“Yeah, no shit. But who fired it?”  
They looked at each other then ran downstairs and outside. They saw Claire kneeling by Jamie who was on the ground, holding his arm. They sprinted the rest of the way to him, followed by Young Jamie. The three helped Claire stand him up.  
“What happened?” Skylar asked, in shock.  
“We need to get him inside, now,” was all Claire said. Ian and Claire each supported Jamie and walked him into the house, Skylar and Young Jamie on their heels. “Help me get him on the table,” she ordered when they got through the door.   
Jamie pulled from her and Ian saying, “What’s a few more scars? Leave me be! I’m just fine!” He sat himself on the table.  
“Get me some alcohol, please,” she said to Young Jamie and he went off. She turned to her Jamie and said, “Here, take this off,” regarding his vest. That’s when Skylar saw the blood and she almost passed out.   
Ian saw her catch herself on the wall and went to her. “Are ye alright, Yank?”  
She nodded. “It’s just the blood.” She was not good around blood. Ever since she was little and she would get cuts from playing on a playground to when she watched her mother get blood taken regularly, she couldn’t handle the sight of it.   
“I remember when I sliced me finger open wi’ a knife and ye were nearly sick.”  
“Ignore me, pay attention!” She pointed to Claire, knowing she would need help.  
He went back to his aunt, helping to clear the table for her. Then, Jenny and Older Ian walked in and stopped dead in their tracks.   
“Oh dear God,” Jenny said, crossing herself.  
“Who did this?” Older Ian questioned.  
“Laoghaire,” Claire told them, directing that to Jenny with a hard look. Seeing Jenny’s guilty face, Skylar guessed she had a role in last night’s big show.  
“It’s nothin’ Claire canna fix,” Jamie assured them.  
“I’ll get clean towels and bandages,” Jenny said, going to get them.  
“Go get my medical kit. It’s in my bag in the courtyard,” Claire instructed Young Ian, which he left to do immediately. She told his father, “Can you get hot water and see if you can find an apron?”  
“Aye.” And he was gone.   
“Are you going to be alright? You’re practically transparent,” she said to Skylar.  
“I’ll be fine.”  
“Ye shouldna see this, lass. Go wait in the parlor,” Jamie told her.  
“I’m not leaving you,” she fought. Jamie was the closest thing she had to a father and she was not going to let him be operated on without her there.   
“It’s only a bird shot. Nothin’ serious,” Jamie said to Claire as she examined his arm.  
“Have you forgot what I told you about germs?” she countered. Young Jamie appeared with the alcohol and a glass, promptly leaving to help his father. Claire filled it and gave it to Jamie, which he downed quickly. “I’m going to have to dig those pellets out.”  
“Is there anything you can use as an anesthetic?” Skylar asked.  
“Unfortunately getting him drunk is the best thing we can use to knock him out.” Jamie assisted with that by grabbing the bottle itself and chugging from it. “Lie down,” Claire told him. He obeyed.   
Ian came back in with her medical kit, handing it to her. He walked back to Skylar and put his hand on her back.  
“Are ye sure yer okay te-”  
“Next person who asks me if I’m okay is getting punched,” she stated.   
Ian just gave a nod, and he led her to the table. They watched as Claire cleaned his arm and her tools with the alcohol. After Jenny and Older Ian brought in the supplies needed, she set to work.  
As big of a man as Jamie was, he was able to get blackout drunk very fast. Claire hadn’t even finished getting the first one out before he was barely conscious.   
Skylar couldn’t help letting out a sickly groan watching Claire dig her tools into Jamie’s arm.  
“Ye ken how are ye are wi’ blood, Yank,” Ian said to her, watching his friend get paler by the second. “Ye should wait elsewhere.”  
She shook her head. “I’m fine. I’m not leaving Jamie.”  
She was able to endure the first four pellets, but it was the fifth one that got to her.   
“Alright, this is the one I’m worried about,” Claire said, not to anyone specifically, just thinking out loud. “If the pellet’s penetrated the artery, then he’ll bleed to death, and there’ll be nothing I can do about it.”  
Skylar grabbed Ian’s hand and squeezed it tight. He saw how nervous she was for Jamie and he squeezed back to comfort her.  
Claire picked up one of her scalpels and started to cut into Jamie. Watching this, Skylar felt bile start to rise in her throat but she forced it down. But when Claire used her tool to go into the hole, she couldn’t handle it anymore.   
“Um, I-I’m starting to feel a bit lightheaded,” she said. “I’m gonna go outside for a while.”  
“Do ye want me te come with ye?” Ian asked.  
“No. No, you stay with Claire in case she needs help.” She squeezed his hand once more and left. Ian watched her turn the corner out of the room, keeping his gaze on where she had disappeared for another moment, then turned back to the surgery.  
Claire was able to pull the pellet out easily and she added it to the bowl with the others.  
“Did it penetrate the artery?” he asked, not knowing what that meant but it had sounded serious.  
“No. He was very lucky.”  
She started cleaning the wound some more, getting ready to close it. As she did, she noticed Young Ian kept looking off to where Skylar had gone, some concern evident on his face.  
“You care very much about her, don’t you?” she said to him. He looked back at her.   
Without thinking about it, he said, a little too honestly, “Of course. I love her.” He then heard what he said. His eyes widened a little and his face flushed with embarrassment. He tried to take it back by saying, “I-I mean, um…I love her, of course, as friend dearly loves another friend.”  
Claire couldn’t hide her smile at his stuttering. “Of course,” she replied, pretending to believe him. She then went back to focusing on Jamie.   
On the back steps, Skylar sat with her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. Her nausea was starting go away and the world had stopped spinning. She raised her head and took a breath. She felt her face and she was much less clammy.   
“Are ye alright, Skylar?” Janet asked, sitting next to her.  
“I’m fine. I’m just not good around blood.”  
“Claire is still workin’ on Uncle Jamie?”  
She nodded. “I think she’s almost done. He should be okay.”  
“That’s good.” They didn’t speak for a minute when Janet asked all of a sudden, “So do ye fancy me brother, then?”  
The question took her aback and she was so surprised, it took her a while to respond. “Um, wh-why would you ask that?”  
“Because I see the way the two’a ye are together. Yer practically bound at the hip. And how ye act with one another, it’s no how I act wi’ any of my friends. Even my closest ones. Yer always smilin’ at each other wi’ a shine in yer eye, and ye touch his arm or hand whenever ye talk te him.”  
Skylar could feel her face heating up.  
 _Omigod, is it really that obvious? she thought. Can he tell?_  
“I also ken that he fancies ye, so I thought I should ask if ye return it.”  
She whipped her head to look at Janet. “What? What do you mean? No he doesn’t.”  
Janet giggled, finding it funny how blind this girl was apparently. “Aye, he does. He hasna said it out loud, but it’s as plain te see as they sky is blue.”  
“I-I…um, no I just…I don’t under-no…what…” She was having a very difficult time forming a coherent sentence. “How do you know?” she finally got out.  
“Well, fer one thing, the way he looks at ye. It’s like he thinks of ye as the one who makes the stars shine at night. And when ye touch him, his face gets as red as a tomato. Like yers is now.” Skylar looked down, trying to hide it. Janet went on, “Before he ran away again, all he could talk about was ye. Every day he brought up somethin’ ye said or did. And when he would talk about it, he would smile like he was listenin’ te pretty music.” Skylar just sat there, trying to process everything she was being told. “I’ve known Ian te take an interest in girls before, but he wasna the same wi’ them how he is with ye. He feels somethin’ different fer ye.”  
Skylar started to feel lightheaded all over again, but not from the blood. Was Janet right? Was she telling the truth? Could the boy she had fought her off love for for so long actually have been feeling the same the whole time?  
She knew she should be feeling beyond ecstatic over the news Janet told her. This is all that she wanted, for Ian to love her back. But it only made her anxiety get worse.  
 _What if she’s wrong,_ she thought. _What if I tell him I love him and he just laughs in my face and never talks to me again?_  
She was brought out of her head when she heard a voice behind her say, “Yank? Are ye feelin’ better?”  
She looked behind her and shot up to standing at seeing Ian. “I’m sorry, um, what-what did you say?”  
“Are ye feelin’ better? Ye looked like ye were about te be sick in there.”  
“Yes, um, I’m-I’m much better. I was just talking with-” She went to look at Janet, but saw that she was gone. “Oh. Well, Janet was here a minute ago.”  
“Off te stick her nose in other places where it doesna belong likely. Here, I brought ye some water.” He held out the cup to her and she took it.  
“Thanks, Youngin’.” She took a long drink. She was finding it incredibly hard to talk to him, or even look at him. Janet’s words kept ringing in her ear. She brought the cup down but didn’t look back at Ian, choosing to look directly into the clear liquid. She was holding the cup very securely.   
“Are ye sure yer alight, Sky? Is somethin’ else botherin’ ye?”  
She looked at him, her mind fighting with itself over what to do.  
 _Say something! Tell him how you feel about him! Ask him how feels about you! Just say something, you idiot! This is your chance!_  
“Um,” she started.  
 _But what if you lose him forever? Is the risk worth it?_  
She forced a smile and said, “I’m fine, I promise. Just still a little woozier than I thought I was.”  
“Let’s get ye inside and sittin’ down,” Ian suggested, putting his hand on her back and guiding her into the house.  
She silently let out a breath. As much as she wanted to believe what Janet told her, she couldn’t take the chance of not having him in her life at all. She would have to accept to a life just as his best friend and pining for him from a distance.


	13. Silkie Island

The rest of the day and into the night was, thankfully, peaceful. Claire had Jamie moved to the couch and she was keeping watch over him. Everyone figured to leave her alone and let her do what she needed to do. Skylar, however, decided to see if she wanted some company while she waited for her husband to wake up.  
“I would be very glad of the company, thank you,” Claire had said.  
They continued on with their conversation the day before. Claire seemed to have a million questions about a time so far from her own, and Skylar was more than happy to answer every one. She knew she was getting the woman’s mind off of the bomb that had been dropped on her the previous night and off of worrying about Jamie’s arm. She also liked this because she could use it to distract herself from her own problems. She recognized they were microscopic compared to what Claire was going through, but she couldn’t stop thinking about it. She couldn’t stop thinking about how she was told that Ian, her absolute best friend who she herself was horribly in love with, felt the same way about her.   
_Except he can’t,_ she kept fighting. _There’s no way. He just can’t. Life is never this fair. The boy I love does not love me back._  
So, she told her fellow time traveler all about the 21st Century to help both of them.  
“And with our phones, we can send text messages. Those are like sending letters, only it’s a million times faster. And that’s just the basics, texting and calling. Having the internet in your pocket is what’s really lit.”  
“I’m sorry, what? What does that mean, ‘lit’? Like how a fire can be lit?”   
“No, ‘lit’ is a slang word my generation made up. It means, like, ‘cool’ or ‘amazing.’ For example, um…you could say, ‘This party I went to was so lit! I had so much fun.’”  
Claire nodded, seeming to understand, but laughed lightly. “I am a surgeon graduated from Harvard Medical School, and I am just lost when it comes to your vocabulary.”  
Skylar laughed. “Well, I’m sure you have words from when you were my age that I would have no clue what they meant.” She covered her mouth as she yawned.  
“You’re tired, Skylar. You should go to bed.”  
“I don’t want you to-”  
“I will be fine. Worrying about him is not something new me.” She glanced at Jamie, still passed out. “But thank you for talking with me. It really meant a lot.”  
“It was my pleasure. I’ll see you in the morning.”  
“Goodnight.”  
She walked up the stairs and into her room. She got changed and climbed into bed. She was so happy that she got to talk to Claire more. She was fascinating to learn about.   
But now that she was alone again, her mind shifted immediately back to Ian. She sighed. She needed to find somebody else to fall in love with. That’s the only way she would be able to move on.  
 _But I don’t want anyone else. Would he really just throw away our friendship if I told him how I felt? He isn’t a shitty person. We could move on from it really quickly. Or what if Janet really is right? Maybe he does like me._  
She knew there was only one way she was certain to find out.   
“Omigod,” she whispered to herself.  
In the morning, she was going to tell Ian she loved him.  
She stayed in bed as long as she could after she woke up. As long as she didn’t see him, she wouldn’t have to say anything.   
_Omigod just get up and do it. The longer you wait, the more torturous it’ll be._   
She forced herself out of bed and got dressed. Her heart was going a million miles a second as she looked for him and her hands were shaking.   
_Maybe he just disappeared into thin air and he’s never coming back._  
But she found him. He was in the back, spreading feed for the chickens. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw him. And even though she terrified, seeing him made heart slow and relax. He had a calming effect on her, without him even doing anything.   
He looked up when he heard her coming and smiled. His smile made her stomach hurt in the best way possible.  
“There ye are,” he said to her when she reached him. “I thought ye might be in bed all day.”  
She forced out a chuckle. “I wish I could.” She closed her eyes and took a breath. “Ian, I need to-”  
“Ye just missed Ned Gowan,” he said, not realizing he interrupted her. “He came te talk te Uncle Jamie and Auntie Claire about what te do with Auntie Laoghaire.”  
“And?”  
“I was listenin’ through the wall so I only heard bits and pieces. But apparently, Uncle Jamie’s marriage to Auntie Laoghaire is no valid now that his first wife is back.”  
“Well, that’s good.”  
“Aye. I heard Ned Gowan start te talk about Auntie Laoghaire wantin’ somethin’ in exchange, but Ma found me and sent me out here.”  
“Ah,” she said in reply. She wasn’t able to focus on anything other than she needed to say to him. She needed to just get it out; but whenever she opened her mouth to say it, no words would come out.  
“Are ye alight, Yank? Ye seem mighty concerned about somethin’.”  
“Um…I just, um…Ian, I-”  
“Ian!” Jenny called to him. Skylar nearly screamed. She was never going to say it. He turned to face his mother. She gestured for him to come to her. He started forward with Skylar following him. “I need ye te finish the wash out front and bring in what’s dry.”  
“Why canna Janet do it?”  
“Because I’m askin’ ye te. Go on then.” She turned around and walked back inside.   
Ian exhaled heavily and walked to the front of the house with Skylar next to him, staying silent.   
They found the wash bucket with the laundry already beside it with some done already.   
“At least it’s not that much,” she told him as she helped.   
“Aye,” he muttered, trying not to complain. They continued washing and hanging the laundry without talking. Skylar kept daring herself to finally say what she needed to, but she couldn’t.   
“Were ye goin’ te say something, Yank? Before Ma called me over?”  
“Oh. Um…no, no I wasn’t.”  
 _Later,_ she decided. _I’ll do it later._  
After they hung up everything that was wet, they folded what was dry and put in the laundry basket. Ian carried it inside and Skylar followed him.   
He stopped suddenly, making her crash into him.  
“Youngin’, what the-”  
“Shh shh shh shh shh,” he said. They had stopped outside the parlor where his parents, Jamie and Claire were all sitting, discussing something.  
“Where do ye intend te get the money te pay her?” they heard Jenny ask.  
“Pay who? Laoghaire?” Skylar whispered. Ian didn’t answer.  
“There’s a place I know,” Jamie explained. “There’s a box full of ancient coins, on Silkie Island.” Skylar saw Ian perk up, knowing that getting to any island meant swimming and his uncle couldn’t swim with his arm hurt. “I swam there once,” Jamie continued. “Maybe I could go back and get it.”  
“You can’t swim anywhere. Not until that arm’s healed,” Claire told him.  
“Ian, no.” Skylar tried to grab him, but he was already gone.  
“How far is it?” he asked Jamie, walking into the room. She stood behind him with her arms crossed. She knew exactly how this would end.  
“Maybe a quarter mile,” his uncle answered.  
“Aye. I can swim that. I’m a better swimmer than either of me brothers.”  
“Away ye go. Ye can bring that in later,” Jenny shooed him.   
He looked at Jamie again then stalked out.   
“I could’ve told you she would say that,” Skylar said as they walked into the kitchen.  
Ian put the basket on the table and said, as they started getting out the napkins and towels, “It’s no fair. Uncle Jamie canna swim and he needs te get te that island. Michael is no a swimmer. He’ll drown quick. And my brother Jamie canna swim that far. I can. They should just let me do it.”  
“Maybe they’ll change their minds.”  
“Aye, and our cows’ll start producin’ gold instead’a milk.”  
As if on cue, Jamie and Jenny walked in.   
“Ian,” Jenny said. He looked up at her. She glanced at Jamie, seeming unsure about something, and he gave a confirming look. “Ye can go wi’ yer uncle to retrieve the box.” Ian looked shocked. “And then,” she went on, “ye will go with him to France while he has business there.”  
“Are ye jokin’?” he asked, completely serious.   
“No. It’s been decided. Yer old enough now te be able to see a bit’a the world.”  
He ran around the table to his mother and hugged her. “Thank ye, Ma. Truly, thank ye.”  
“Dinna give me a reason to regret this, aye?”  
“I willna, I swear.”  
“I’m sure Skylar will no let him cause any trouble,” Jamie added.  
“I-I’m coming? To France?” Skylar questioned.  
“Of course. I canna let Ian have all the fun on his own.” He grinned at her.  
Her smile went from ear to ear. She was so excited to see more of the 18th Century world outside of Scotland.   
“We’re leavin’ fer Silkie Island in just an hour, so pack yer things.” The two just nodded and he and Jenny walked out.   
When they were gone, Ian and Skylar hugged each other tight from excitement.  
“You might wanna check your cows for gold,” she joked.  
They quickly packed their bags and the two with Jamie and Claire started off. There was a cliff that Jamie knew that was right across from the island. It wasn’t too far, only a couple hours ride. The four walked down the steep slope to the water. Ian took off his jacket and shoes and waded his feet in the water to try to get used to it before he started swimming.   
“If you drown, I’m going to France without you,” Skylar told him, chuckling. Jamie and Claire had already gone back up the cliff to where they wait for him.   
He turned to her, grinning cheekily. “How would ye survive wi’out me, Yank?”  
“How about we don’t find out.” Nerves were starting to creep in.   
“I’ll be there and back before ye ken it.”  
“Just please be careful. You gave me your word remember? That you wouldn’t scare me again?”  
“I have no intention of breakin’ it now.” He reached his hand back to her. She walked to him and took it. “Dinna fash, Sky. Nothin’s goin’ te happen.”  
“I know. I just worry about you is all,” she said, repeating what he had told her.   
He squeezed her hand and let go. “Alright, here I go.”  
“I’ll meet you back here.”  
“Won’t be but a minute.”  
With that, he went further into the water until he could no longer stand and started swimming.   
Skylar took a breath, then went up to join Jamie and Claire.  
She barely blinked, keeping her eyes locked on Ian as he swam. It wasn’t a long swim and she knew he was able to do it fine. But that didn’t stop her from worrying about him.   
Jamie also kept him in sight with his spyglass and Claire seemed nearly as nervous as Skylar.   
“The water must be freezing,” Claire stated.   
“Tis,” Jamie replied. “It’s the current that’s the worst part of it. Ye must surrender to it. But as ye come nearer the island, ye must break free of it or be carried away te the New World.”  
“Gee, thanks Jamie. That really puts my mind at ease,” Skylar said, still watching her best friend.  
“Dinna fash,” he said to both women, noticing that his words didn’t help Claire’s worry over the boy either. “Ian’s a braw swimmer. Ye ken that, lass. Ye, Ian, and Fergus have swum many times in Duddingston Loch.”  
“Yeah, a body of water which doesn’t have the fear of you being swept away to who knows where.”  
Jamie put a hand on her shoulder. “He’s going te be fine. He’ll be back beside ye in just a minute.”  
She just inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, not able to feel relaxed until he was back on this side of the water.   
She glanced up at Jamie and Claire and could feel the tension still heavily between them. It looked like Claire wanted to say something but was holding back.   
“I’m gonna go sit a little ways down. Be alone with my worry,” she excused herself. They needed to be able to talk by themselves.   
She went and sat quite a bit away from them, still keeping herself a good distance from the slope that led to the water. She held her knees to her chest, looking out again. She could just see Ian climbing onto the island. That made her feel slightly better. At least he’d be coming back very soon.   
She let her mind wander and remembered the moment they had when she was holding Benjamin. Throughout their friendship, they, of course, had looked at each other an infinite amount of times. Even a handful where their gaze lingered for a bit too long. But this time had been different. The connection they had when their eyes met made it feel as though they were the only two people existing on the planet. It had felt almost intimate, like something someone would feel embarrassed to walk in on. And if Benjamin hadn’t started crying, she was certain “I love you” would have slipped out of her mouth.   
_Did he feel all of that too though?_ she thought. _Or was it all completely one sided and in my head?_  
She moved her eyes from Ian for a moment, and what she saw paralyzed her. There was an enormous ship docked at Silkie Island.  
“Jamie?” she said, too quietly for him to hear. She tried again, louder, “Jamie?” He still didn’t hear her. She stood up, not looking away from the ship and shouted, “Jamie!”  
He turned to her and saw it too.   
“Christ,” he whispered, whipping out the spyglass. He could see a rowboat of men coming from the ship, heading to the island. Skylar saw them too and she was frozen, shaking with fear. She wanted to say something, to call to Ian; but she could barely get her mouth open, let alone form words.   
She scoured the island, desperately trying to find him. When she did, she could just make him out coming down the hill, back towards the water. The men were now out of the boat and he was going to cross their path.   
She could hear Jamie and Claire calling out to him and telling him to go back. She tried again to speak, but she was still unable to. Their calls were too late though. The men met Ian, one of them pulling a gun on him. When they grabbed him, that broke her trance.   
She bolted. She went down the hill as fast as she could, slipping multiple times but always got right back up and kept going. She knew Jamie was right behind her; she could hear him calling to her. She knew he would pass her in a second, but she was killing herself to get down first. And she did; by barely a second. She hadn’t even gotten both feet in the water, having planned on herself swimming to the ship and Ian, when Jamie caught her. She pushed against him and hit his arm as hard as she could to get him to let go, but he didn’t.   
When he saw Claire catch up, he shoved the girl to her and ordered her, “Hold her!”  
Jamie then took off his jacket and sling, having the same plan as Skylar.  
“Jamie, no!” Claire exclaimed, holding Skylar back with all of her strength. “You can’t! You’re hurt!”  
He was reminded of that when he took of his sling and fire blazed through his arm, crying in pain and grabbing it.   
The three could only watch as the ship that now held Young Ian released its sails and started off.   
Skylar had stopped fighting Claire. She felt like she wasn’t in her body. She felt cold and sweaty. She wasn’t crying, but she had never felt such uncontrollable panic and terror in her life. This was worse than when he was caught in the fire. Jamie had been able to go into the building and pull him out to safety. But now, Jamie was standing next to her, unable to do anything.  
“Ian!” she finally screamed. Claire released her and she ran into the water, just up to her ankles.   
She watched the ship shrink into the distance, and that’s when the true reality of what had just happened hit her. She fell to her knees, not caring in the least how cold or wet she was getting. She grasped her chest, starting to hyperventilate. Her vision was blurry and she thought she was going to pass out.   
She felt a hand take her arm and try to lift her and she pulled away. It tried again and she just yelled, “No!” pulling away again. She didn’t want to move.  
“Come onto the land, lass,” she heard Jamie say with a tone that meant she didn’t have a choice.   
She stood up, shaking violently, and allowed Jamie to slowly lead her back. On land, he let her sit back on the ground. Claire knelt in front of her.  
“Skylar, look at me,” she said. She refused. “Please, look at me.” She moved her eyes to look at her. “We need to calm you down. Your blood pressure is getting too high. Can you hold my hand?” She looked at Claire’s open hand being offered to her. Still shaking, she took it. “Good. Can you tell me your full name?”  
She still wasn’t breathing properly so it was very difficult to speak. She tried to slow her breathing down enough to answer. “Sky…Sk-skylar…Anne…Kelley.”  
“How do you spell ‘Skylar’?”  
She knew Claire was asking her these in order to control her breathing and have her mind focus on other things.   
“S…K…Y…” she stopped.  
“And the last few?” Claire pushed  
She swallowed and finished, “L…A…R.” She could feel her breathing starting to calm.   
“Tell me what are three things you can physically feel in this moment?”  
She finally started taking normal breaths. “Rocks…wind…water.” She could feel the water on her dress dripping down her legs.  
She was still shaking, but nowhere near as horribly. She closed her eyes and took some deep regular breaths as Claire felt her pulse.  
“Your heart rate is coming back down.” She felt her forehead and face. “Your so clammy. We need to get you some water.”  
“I’ll take her back to Lallybroch, then I’ll find Jared,” Jamie said. “He’s in town on business and he’ll be able to give some information on whatever ship that was. He can also help us secure one of our own and we’ll be able to chase down these bastards.”  
“How long will that all take?” Claire asked, still sitting beside Skylar.  
“I am goin’ te make sure that we can leave before the week is out. I’m no lettin’ them get too far ahead.”   
“Then let’s fucking move,” Skylar said. “Do whatever we need to do. They’re too far ahead already.”  
“‘We’ are not doin’ anythin’,” Jamie told her. “You are te stay at Lallybroch wi’ Jenny, where I ken ye’ll be safe.”  
Her head snapped up to him. “You’re joking, right?” He looked at her very serious, meaning what he said. Adrenaline filled her body and she no longer felt shaky and dizzy. She stood right up and faced him square on. She started screaming at him, “If you think I’m actually just going to stay behind and do nothing while my best friend, who I would gladly risk my life for, was just kidnapped by fucking pirates and is being taken God only knows where, then you are wrong!” Tears were now coming down and her face was red and hot. She took a moment to pull herself together, then said again, whilst still crying, “Please, Jamie. I can’t not know if he’s okay. Doing nothing will kill me. Please.”  
He stared at her for a second, then looked behind her at Claire who must’ve given him some kind of look because he then said, “Alright. Ye can come. But ye must follow every word I say. I canna have anythin’ happenin’ te ye as well.”  
“I promise. I swear I will. Thank you, Jamie.”  
“Now,” he said, ready to start, “we need te find my cousin.”


	14. Stow Away

Skylar stood on the end of the dock, staring out at the water. It had been five days since Ian was taken, and five days of her not knowing where he was, what was happening to him, and if he was okay. She had barely slept or ate while preparations were being made for them to sail. Jamie’s cousin Jared was able to use his connections to get them a ship, the Artemis, at a very good price.   
Jamie had received word from Fergus that he was in Berwick a few days earlier. He paid a messenger to get a letter back to Fergus in half the time it would usually take. It explained what had happened and to meet him back in Edinburgh. He was able to track down Willoughby, Hayes and Lesley and convinced them to join him as crew.   
_What is taking so long? We need to leave,_ Skylar thought.   
She jumped when she felt someone touch her arm.  
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” She looked up and saw Claire next to her.  
“It’s okay,” she told her, looking back out. They didn’t say anything for a while. But Skylar felt her being there comforting, even in silence.   
“You don’t, um,” she said, breaking the quiet, “you don’t think that we’re-we’re already…that it might be too…” She couldn’t finish the question, wanting to throw up just thinking about it. But Claire knew what she was asking.   
She put her hand on the scared girl’s shoulder. “We are going to find him. We’re going to bring him home.”   
Skylar looked up at her, tears again threatening to fall. She hugged the older woman, forgetting that they had only really just met. Claire hugged her back, praying to God she didn’t just lie to her.  
When they heard voices coming towards them, they pulled apart; but Claire kept an arm around Skylar’s shoulders while the teenager wiped away her tears. They saw Jamie and Jared nearing, still in conversation.  
“It’s all arranged then,” Jared was saying. “You’ll act as supercargo in charge of the freight. Master Raines is glad not te have the responsibility. She’s not much but…”  
“She’ll do,” Jamie finished, looking at the ship.   
“Boy, the weather is beginnin’ te turn,” Jared stated, looking at the sky. “Even a brig of this size will be bobbin’ like a cork. But at least ye’ll have a physician at hand when ye begin retchin’ yer innards.”  
Jamie already looked a little green at the idea. “I’ll manage,” was all he said to that. “All that matters now is Young Ian.” Skylar took a breath, refusing to cry anymore. She felt Claire squeeze her shoulders.   
“Yes,” Jared went on. “Well, the harbormaster had record of only one three-masted frigate sailing under the Portuguese flag, the Bruja. Her home port is Jamaica.”  
“She was ridin’ very low in the water,” Jamie told him. “Hold must’ve been laden.”  
“Then they would most likely be on their way home. Dinna fash. A healthy male can be sold for upward of 30 pounds in Jamaica. As long as he doesn’t make trouble, Ian will be fine.”  
“West Indies is our best chance then,” Claire concluded. Jamie gave a nod in agreement.  
“What do you mean sold?” Skylar questioned, that being the only thing she heard. She felt panic starting to set in again. Jared didn’t know how to answer that without making her feel worse.  
Jamie bent to her level and had her look him in the eye. “We’re not goin’ te let him get that far, lass. We’re goin’ te find him well before they have the chance to…sell him.” His words didn’t help. Skylar felt dizzy again and her stomach was turning badly.   
Jamie stood back up and said, “Thank ye, Jared. Ye’ve been of great help.”  
“Bon voyage,” he said, about to leave. “God be with you. And the lad.” He walked away.   
Skylar couldn’t hold it in anymore. She ran back to the edge of the deck and proceeded to be sick into the water. As she caught her breath, Claire came up to her and rubbed her back in slow circles to try to calm her. She barely heard her and Jamie talk above her. But it sounded like Jamie was blaming himself; that God was punishing him because of his situation with Laoghaire and needing to use the jewels from the island for alimony. She heard bits and pieces of Claire trying to ease his mind that it wasn’t his fault because he just wanted to be happy. She tuned out the rest of their conversation. She tried to think about the journey they were about to go on and how they were going to find Ian. But as much as she tried to keep positive, the worst case scenarios played in her head. That he would be sold into slavery and they wouldn’t be able to get him back. That he wasn’t going to be in Jamaica and they were just going the wrong way. Or that they would find him, but he would be dead.  
She immediately was sick again at that thought.   
“Where the hell is Fergus?” she asked, sniffing. He was the only one she wanted to see right now. She knew he would be able to keep her as calm as possible during this.   
“He should be here any minute lass, I’m sure of it,” Jamie said.   
“You should lie down as soon as we get on board,” Claire told her.  
“I’m not tired,” she countered.  
“I understand that. But we need to try to keep you as stress free as possible so you don’t have another panic attack.”  
“I’m not going to be able to not feel stressed until I am holding Youngin’s hand on the boat heading back to Scotland.”  
The three turned when they heard Lesley say, “Captain Raines wants to cast off.” Hayes was next to him. “If we don’t, we’ll no catch the tide.”  
“Maybe we should leave tomorrow on a fresh tide,” Hayes suggested  
“Fresh tide? They’re all the same, ye numbskull. He’s full of nerves.”  
“It’s no nerves.” He looked at Claire. “Twice I’ve been in a ship. Once when they took me from Scotland as an indentured slave, another when I returned home. If it wasna for Mac Dubh, I wouldna be settin’ foot in that bucket of shite.”   
“If it’s any consolation, I’m not one for sea voyages either,” Claire said. “But we’re very glad of your help.”  
“Very glad,” Skylar added. “Thank you, Hayes.”  
“A’course I’d do what I can te help a friend,” he told her. She gave him a slight smile.  
“Has Willoughby arrived?” Jamie wanted to know. He, Claire and Skylar left the inn they had been staying at early that morning, before Willoughby had woken up.  
“Aye, he’s on deck now,” Lesley confirmed.   
“Then inform Captain Raines we have sufficient crew aboard. Just waitin’ on Fergus.”  
Hayes informed him, “The wee frog’s on board already, Mac Dubh. Fergus and-”  
“And the baggage from Lallybroch,” Lesley cut him off. He seemed uncomfortable. “The lad’s brought ye some clothes and supplies.”   
Skylar narrowed her eyes at Lesley, knowing something was going on.   
_What the hell did Fergus do?_   
He grabbed Hayes by the shoulder and said firmly, “Let’s go.” And he dragged him away.   
“I’m gonna go meet Fergus on deck,” she said, looking between Jamie and Claire.  
“Go on, lass,” Jamie said.   
She started speed walking, wanting so bad to see her brother. She knew she was going to have to tell him he was right about her feelings for Ian. She just hoped he wouldn’t gloat in the wake of the situation.   
She walked onto the ship and looked around for him. She found him coming up from below deck.   
“Fergus!” she called to him. He looked to her and smiled. She continued to him and hugged him, burying her face in his chest. He just held her and stroked her hair.   
“I’ve missed you, ma soeur.”  
“I’ve missed you.” Her reply was muffled with her face still against him. He chuckled.   
They stayed like that for a little while until he heard her sniffing.   
“Hey, hey,” he said, gently pushing her from him and leaning down to her, still holding her arms. “You do not need to cry. If anyone can find Ian, it’s Milord. He’s going to be okay.” Skylar just nodded. He could tell she wanted to say something. “There is something else. What is it?”  
Blinking away tears, she took a large breath and said, “Just, please don’t say ‘I told you so.’”   
“Why would I say that?” She opened her mouth to tell him but she couldn’t form the words. He was able to read her expression though and knew exactly what she was saying. “Oh, Sky.” He pulled her in to him again.   
“I haven’t even told him yet,” she said, her voice cracking.  
“You will. I promise. You will get to tell him.” When he saw Jamie and Claire board and the rest of the crew going to their positions, Fergus pulled from her, saying, “I will be right back.” He left her and went back below deck.   
Skylar leaned on the side of the ship as it started to sail. The spray of the water and the wind blowing on her face was very soothing. She just stood there while the men around her did their jobs in order to keep the ship afloat. She did, however, notice that everyone touched a horseshoe that was nailed to a post as they passed it.   
“What is that?” she asked Lesley as he touched it.   
“It’s fer good luck,” he explained. “Every member of the crew and passenger must touch the horseshoe or we’ll run inte misfortune.”  
“Well, I’m not taking any risks.” She walked over and touched it, hoping the good luck would work and they would find Ian quickly.  
Not too long after setting sail, they were many miles out into the water. The crew continued to work and follow their orders given by Captain Raines. Yet, with all the crisscross paths they took on the deck, none of them acknowledged Skylar’s presence or bothered to move out of the way or stop when they would almost run into her.   
But when Hayes nearly hit her, he stopped and said, “Sorry about that.”  
“Why are you apparently the only one who can see me?” she asked, catching him before he went to his job.   
He looked around, almost to check that no one saw him talking to her. “Women are bad luck on ships.”  
“What? That’s ridiculous.”  
“It’s just a superstition, but all superstitions are taken seriously at sea. Like the horseshoe.”  
“Have you touched it yet?”  
He shook his head. “Not yet. I need te get me task settled first, then I will.”  
“Well, off you go, before you catch my bad luck.” He chuckled and left.   
She made her way over to where she saw Jamie and Claire.   
“Did you hear?” she said to Claire. “Apparently we’re bad luck.”  
“I just found that out myself,” she told her, smirking at Jamie. She turned back to Skylar. “How are you feeling?”  
“This is the first time in the last few days that I’m not crying or throwing up, so…”  
“You really should lie down. It’ll help you relax.”  
She was about to argue that that was impossible when Fergus interrupted them.   
“Milord,” he said, approaching them. Skylar smiled seeing him; but she dropped it very quickly when she saw who he was with.   
Jamie’s eyes went wide. “Marsali?” The blonde girl appeared from behind Fergus. “What the hell are you doing here?”  
Fergus and Marsali looked to each other, excited, then she answered, “Fergus and I are married.”  
“What?!” Skylar exclaimed. Fergus looked at her and the face she gave him could’ve killed him if it were possible. Jamie also looked shocked, more so than Skylar though. He actually started laughing a little, not believing it.  
“What in the name of Holy God do you mean?” He looked back and forth between the two. “Ye hardly know each other.”  
“We’ve been courting since last August, and we were handfast this morning,” Fergus explained. Though that did nothing to comfort Jamie.   
“Handfast?” Claire questioned.  
Not taking his eyes off the young couple, Jamie told her, “A custom that allows two people te be married if they clasp hands in front of witnesses and proclaim themselves wed.” He turned to Skylar. “Did you ken this?”  
She hesitated, giving another death glare to Fergus for dragging her into this. “I-I knew that they were courting. But I had no idea he was going to marry her!”  
“Why did ye not tell me?” She wasn’t the one he was angry at, but his words came out sharply.  
She went to defend herself, but Fergus spoke for her. “I made her swear not to. I had her promise she would not say anything and that I would be the one to tell you.”  
“And this is your grand idea on how te do that, aye? Stowing her away and announcing yer married?” He then thought of something. “Ye canna be though. Not if…” He grabbed Fergus’ arm and brought him to the side.   
None of the three women said anything. Marsali just gave dirty looks to both Claire and Skylar and turned her back to them.   
Skylar was furious.  
 _How the hell could he not tell me he was planning to do this? And he chooses now?_  
She looked at Claire and could tell she hated this as well. She was not a fan of Marsali either.  
“Captain!” she heard Jamie call. He had finished talking with Fergus and apparently had a plan. “We need te make fer shore.”  
“If there’s anything you need, we’ll be putting in at St. Ives for final provisions,” Captain Raines responded.   
“Then Marsali will disembark there. I’ll send someone te see her home. This voyage is far too dangerous for a lass.”  
 _Thank God,_ Skylar thought, knowing she was going to have a long talk with Fergus when the other girl was gone.   
“Yer takin’ the two’a them,” Marsali fought, meaning Claire and Skylar.   
Jamie took a few steps towards his stepdaughter and said, “Skylar and Young Ian may as well need each other te breathe. Of course she is comin’ te see him safe. And Claire is no concern of yers.”  
Marsali got right in Jamie’s face and spat back, “Ye left me mother fer this English whore, makin’ her a laughin’ stock and ye say it’s no me concern? The hellish nerve ye have, tellin’ me what I shall do.”  
Fergus quickly stepped in. “Marsali, you must not speak about Milady in such a way.” He glanced at Claire and at Skylar, who was just shooting him daggers. He looked back to Marsali, knowing his sister had words for him.   
“Does yer mother ken?” Jamie asked her, fearing that more than anything.  
“I sent her a letter,” she said simply.   
“And she’ll have me killed. I am sending ye home.”  
“I’ll tell everyone Fergus has already bedded me,” she shot back without even blinking. “He hasna, but I’ll say it anyway. So ye see, I shall either be married or ruined.” She looked at Jamie, daring him to try to send her home.  
 _I’ll throw her overboard, I don’t care,_ Skylar thought, fighting the urge to actually do it.   
Jamie thought for a while, trying to think of any other way out of this. But he couldn’t.   
“Fine,” he said. “Ye can sail te Jamaica. Then I am takin’ ye home.” He started back to Claire, but turned to the newlyweds again. “But Fergus does not touch ye. We have two cabins. Fergus will be with me. Marsali will be with Claire and Skylar.”  
“What?!” all three women exclaimed at the same time.   
“Let’s go inside. You’re going to be sick,” Claire ordered, taking his arm forcefully. “Are you coming, Skylar?”  
“I’ll be in in a minute,” she answered, eyes still locked on Fergus. She stormed towards him and grabbed his arm. “Excuse us a second, will you?” she said to Marsali, voice oozing with fake sugary sweetness. She then pulled him to the other side of the ship. She let go of his arm and shoved him. The surprise nearly caught him off balance. “Are you fucking kidding me, Fergus?! You married her? Have you lost your goddamn mind?!” She ignored the stares they were getting from the crew.   
“I love her, Skylar. You know that. I was always going to marry her.”  
“Even with the way she acts towards me and Claire? You’re just fine with that?”  
“She’s…misunderstood on some things. I am going to explain it to her. It will be fine.”  
“Forget how she treats me, why in God’s name would you choose now to tell Jamie about your relationship? While we are dealing with a life and death situation where he needs to be clear headed and nothing distracting him. Why would this be a good time to marry his stepdaughter and spring it on him?”  
“I could not be apart from her for any longer. I need her in my life forever. I cannot have another day pass without her. And we don’t know how long this will take, so I needed to do it now. You understand, ma soeur, what it is like to be separated from the one you love more than anything. Not knowing when you will see them.”  
“Don’t you dare compare me and Ian to you and Marsali, that’s not fair. You always knew where she was and that she was safe, not having to be eaten alive with worry. Ian was taken from me. And I don’t know where he is or if he’s been hurt or if he’s even alive!” She let out a sob and covered her mouth to hold more in. “I’m sorry,” she told him. “I don’t want to yell at you. I’m just…”  
“No, I am sorry, Skylar. You are right. This was not the right time to tell Milord. But I do love her so much I cannot express it in words. And I meant it when I said I could not live another day without her.”  
Skylar nodded. “I understand that. And you are my brother and I love you even though, God, you can be so stupid sometimes. So, I will try to tolerate Marsali while she is on board.”  
Knowing that’s the best he was going to get, he said, “Thank you, ma soeur.”  
She nodded again in response. “Look, I just really want to be alone for a while. I’m going to go to my cabin so, if you could keep your wife out of there, I’d appreciate it.”  
“Of course. Are you sure you want to be alone?”  
“I’m sure.”  
She laid on the bottom bed of the cabin, just feeling the ship rock. She had experienced so many emotions in the last couple days, but the one she settled on for the moment, and probably for the rest of the journey, was unparalleled anguish. The fear, concern, worry for Ian had not lessened since the day he was taken, and there was no chance it was going to anytime soon. She could only pray with her entire soul and being that they would find him.


	15. The Face in the Moon

Skylar didn’t move from the cabin for the rest of the day. She barely looked up when Claire came in to dress for dinner with Captain Raines. She just sat on the small bench at the end of the cramped room, staring out of a window no larger than a sheet of paper. Her mind was absolutely blank, nothing coming in or out; only holding onto the thought of Ian and the hope she had that they would find him.   
When it got to be late, Claire convinced her to change into her shift. She was glad to be out of her dress, the thin light fabric being much cooler and more comfortable. But she knew there was no point in changing. She wouldn’t be sleeping that night. She returned to her spot and tried to tune out Marsali and Claire discussing the beds.   
“That one’s bigger,” Marsali said, pointing to the bottom bed. “Ye won’t bump yer head when ye get up.”  
“Marsali, you don’t have to try and get in my good graces just so I’ll put in a good word with Jamie. It’s really none of my business,” Claire responded. Obviously, Jamie had not yet given his blessing to the happy couple.  
“So, ye drop out of the clear blue sky, stickin’ yer nose where it doesn’t belong, ruinin’ my family, and now yer mindin’ yer own business.” Skylar rolled her eyes at the comment, still wanting to murder Fergus for what he did. “Well, Daddy may think yer a wise woman, but I still think yer a whore.”  
“Alright, well, the whore should have the bigger bed then, shouldn’t she?” Claire sat on the bed, then spoke again, “Skylar?” She didn’t respond. “The bed is big enough for us to share it if you’d like.”  
“I’m not planning on getting much sleep, so I really don’t care,” she answered, her voice void of any emotion, not breaking her gaze from the dark sea.  
“This is going to be a long journey. You’ll need rest in order to have the strength to endure it.”   
She just gave a quick shrug in return. “I’m not tired.”  
Claire stood up and went to sit next to her. “Skylar, I understand how scared and worried you are for Ian. Believe me, I do. There have been times where I went weeks or months even without knowing where Jamie was and if he’s okay. And it was impossible for me to sleep and eat during then, almost feeling guilty about it. But I forced myself to, because I knew it wouldn’t do him any good to make myself weaker. It would only slow me down in finding him. You’re exhausted, Skylar. I can see it in your face. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. And making yourself sick like this is not going to help find him any quicker.”  
Skylar closed her eyes, feeling tears forming. She didn’t want to cry anymore. She knew Claire was right. Refusing to take care of herself was not going to help Ian and would only make her unable to do her part in finding him. But she felt guilty, like Claire had said, being able to sleep in a bed, safe and warm, knowing that Ian wasn’t getting that same luxury wherever he was.  
“I just…” she started, turning to face the other woman. “I just want him back,” the only response she could think of. A couple tears managed to escape from her sore and swollen eyes.  
Claire took her face saying, “And you will have him back. But for now, you need to rest. If not for yourself, then for me? So I don’t have to worry about your health? It’ll let me stop asking if you’re alright.”   
“Okay,” she finally agreed.  
She stood up with the distressed teenager and walked her to the bed. They had almost forgotten that Marsali was in the room. She had listened to what they were saying, thinking things over and realizing that Fergus had been telling her the truth. She would find a way to talk to Skylar in the morning.  
Skylar laid next to Claire, still awake hours later. She tried to allow the rocking of the boat to lull her to sleep, but a part of her still disapproved of the idea. Whenever her eyes would start to close, something inside of her would make them shoot back open.   
_Let me sleep. Let me sleep,_ she kept thinking to herself.   
She stopped trying. She just laid there, staring at the wall, letting her mind run wild with every terrifying worse case scenarios she could think of. But then she forced her mind to shift.  
 _What if we do find him? And he’s alive?_  
Instead of imagining that he was being tortured or in pain or already dead, she started to imagine seeing again him, hugging him as tight as she possibly could. She imagined telling him she loved him and that he would smile and say he loved her too and would kiss her. She played out this reunion in her head over and over, this allowing her to relax as much as she could and fall asleep.   
When she woke up the next morning, she found that Claire and Marsali were already gone. She stayed in bed for a while longer, then slowly started to move. She took twice as long to dress as usual, seeing no reason to rush. It felt good to finally get some real sleep after nearly a week of barely any. But the slight relief she had felt the night before thinking about Ian being successfully rescued was fading fast. All she felt now was this was just another day of him being missing, and them having no idea as to how to find him.  
Jared better have been right about Jamaica, she thought. Jamaica was their only clue for where he was, but it didn’t help much. She didn’t know much about that country in her own time, let alone the 1700s. But she knew they weren’t going to get there and find him within the hour. Even in 1766, the island was big and crowded, and they knew no one there. It was going to take them weeks to get any sort of information about him.   
Skylar felt her heart pick up and her breathing get faster. She closed her eyes and held onto the wall, trying to focus on breathing air in through her mouth and out her nose.   
_He just had to swim to that goddamn island. He had to prove he was a man. He couldn’t let Jamie do it when his arm was healed, or his brothers. It had to be him and it had to be now. That selfish asshole!_   
“Ahhh!!” she shouted, letting her stress out verbally. She picked up a cup that had been left on the small table and threw it on the ground, smashing it. Without thinking, she picked up the second one and threw it as well. She grabbed the small stack of books on top of Claire’s luggage and chucked each one against the wall. “Damnit, Ian!” she yelled, squatting and pressing her hands hard against her eyes until it started to hurt. She dropped her hands and looked at the mess she made. She sighed and stood up. She figured she would clean it later and sat back on the bench, looking out the window.   
_He better not be dead because I’m going to kill him myself._  
She wasn’t mad at him for what happened. It just felt better to be angry rather than sad for a bit.   
She looked to the door when she heard it open. It was Marsali, carrying a bowl of something. She surpressed a groan and looked back to the water.  
“Are ye alright in here?” she asked, closing the door behind her. “I could hear ye yellin’ from down the hall.” Skylar didn’t say anything.  
Marsali took a breath in and crossed to her, carefully avoiding the broken pottery and books. She sat next to her, not saying anything.   
“I brought ye some breakfast,” she said. “Ye didna eat yesterday, so ye must be hungry.” Still nothing. “Um…it’s amazin’ how yer doin’ so well on this boat, with the waves and the rockin’ constantly. I dinna have much sea legs meself, but Daddy seems te be doin’ worse than-”  
“Why are you talking to me?” Skylar spoke suddenly, not turning her face to the other girl.  
“I-”  
“Why are you acting like you care? If I remember correctly, you don’t like me very much.”  
Skylar didn’t see Marsali look down, a guilty expression on her face. “I am truly sorry fer how cruel I acted te ye. It wasna fair of me te make so quick a judgement about ye wi’out even knowin’ ye. Ye see,” she looked back up at her, seeing Skylar still wasn’t looking at her, “when I first saw ye, and ye were with Fergus, I hadna heard from him a while. And so, when I saw the two’a ye together, him lookin’ at ye wi’ such fondness and affection, I was sure that he was forgettin’ about me and found someone else; ye, I mean. And I got absurdly jealous and angry. But I ken now that ye dinna feel like that fer him. The only love ye two have fer each other is that of brother and sister. I really am heart sorry fer how I treated ye. I hope that ye might be able te forgive me.”  
Skylar turned her head to look at the blonde sitting next to her. She could see she was telling the truth, that she felt awful about her actions towards the American.  
“How do you know that I don’t feel that? That I’m not in love with him?”  
“Because I’ve come te ken that Young Ian is the one ye love and want.”  
Skylar blushed and looked down, embarrassed that someone else knew her feelings.  
“I assume Fergus told you?”  
“Aye, he did.” Skylar chuckled lightly, knowing her brother wasn’t able to not brag about how he had been right. “It’s also plain te see fer anyone with eyes just how much ye care fer him. Ye’d only feel this fearful over someone if ye loved that someone with yer entire heart and soul. Fergus cares greatly fer Ian, but he is no as wracked wi’ worry as ye.”  
Skylar continued to stare at the floor as she said, “I fought my feelings for Ian for so long. I didn’t want to believe they were real and complicate things. He was my best friend, and that was that. Then, I thought I had lost him. I was so scared he wasn’t going to make it out of the fire, and in that moment, that’s when I finally allowed myself to say that I…I love him. I’m so in love with him.” She felt like the wind got knocked out of her. That was the first time she actually said it out loud. She took a minute, then went on, “And when I finally let myself have these feelings and I start thinking maybe, maybe, there’s the smallest chance he could feel the same and I go to tell him, what happens? I lose him again. And I’m so scared that I’m never going to see him again. If we can’t find him, I don’t know what I’ll do. Well, I do know what I’ll do, but I don’t want to think about that.”  
Marsali understood the dark nature of what she meant.  
“Listen te me, Skylar. If anyone is able te find him, it will be Daddy. He will not rest until Ian is found and brought home. He won’t let anthin’ else bad happen te him. And he damn well won’t let ye get hurt as well, especially by yer own hand. So ye can get that thought straight out of yer head.” All Skylar could do in response was nod, acknowledging what Marsali had said. “I’d like fer us te be friends,” she went on. “So, if ye ever want te talk things through, I’ll always be open te listen. I canna even imagine the pain yer in. I don’t even want te think about how I would feel if somethin’ happened te Fergus.”  
She looked up at her brother’s “wife,” “Thank you, Marsali. And I forgive you.”  
Marsali let out a breath of relief and smiled. “I’m mighty thankful fer that.” She then remembered the original reason for why she came in. “Now, would ye eat somethin’?”  
“I don’t have much of an appetite.”  
“It’s only some porridge and a bannock. It’s no much but it’ll fill ye some.” She handed the bowl of white lumps and the bread placed on top out to her. But the girl in question looked very wary about taking it. “I may no like Daddy’s Englishwoman, but she was right yesterday. It’ll help Ian none fer ye te starve yerself te death. And then if yer dead, ye willna be able to see him and tell him when he’s rescued.”   
Skylar looked from the food to the girl across from her. She obviously was not going to give up. She took the bowl and held it on her lap, taking a few small bites of the bannock.  
As the days went by, Skylar started coming out of her cabin little by little. She would mainly go to the deck to breathe fresh air, but she wouldn’t talk to anyone. She would just lean on the ledge and stare off to the horizon, trying to will the Artemis to go faster. She was glad at times about the superstition of women being bad luck. It meant no one would try to bother her. That didn’t stop the ones who cared for her from trying though. When she did come outside, she tried her best to steer clear of Jamie and Claire. Every time they saw her, they would try to engage her in conversation about something not having to do with their journey or to take part in some activity. She knew they were only trying to help by distracting her, but she didn’t want it. She knew it would not help and would only raise her frustration and annoyance. She wanted to be able to be alone in a group of people and the let the real world around her fade away, replacing it with her daydreams of a future with Ian.   
Fergus would try to keep her at ease when she would make an appearance as well; but in a way that Skylar was okay with. When he would see her standing at the edge of the ship with her thousand yard stare into the water, he would go and stand next to her, not saying anything. Without speaking or even looking at her, he would make sure she knew he was here to support her in whatever way she needed. And she was truly grateful for that. They would stand in silence for hours, not moving. But Fergus didn’t mind at all. His sister was hurting and if this is what helped ease her pain, he would gladly stay in that spot for as long as she needed him to.   
Marsali was also becoming someone she would turn to. After being around only men for so long, Skylar forgot what it was like having a girl as a friend. Talking about dresses and makeup and hairstyles had practically become foreign, but it was to talk about those things again. They also had plenty of conversations about the other’s love interests. Marsali loved to talk about how she had had a crush on Fergus as a small child and how it slowly grew into love, or about how they ended up courting. Skylar would tell her about her and Ian’s story from the day they met and how apparently everyone knew how she felt about him before she did.   
They were becoming better friends and spending a good deal of time together. She still hated how Marsali thought of Claire, and she would try to explain how she had the wrong idea about her, like she had the wrong idea of Skylar at first. But Marsali refused to listen. She would say it was one thing to wrongfully think Skylar was trying to steal Fergus, but it was entirely different with Claire. Her stepfather had left her mother for this woman and neither felt any remorse. So, Skylar stopped trying.   
As the days turned into weeks, Skylar was getting antsy. She didn’t want to just stay in her cabin or stare at the water anymore. She needed to feel like she was helping in some way. She had an idea for what she could do.  
“Are you sure?” Claire asked her. “You don’t do well at the sight of blood.”  
She wanted to help Claire with her role as ship’s surgeon. She knew seeing blood made her feel queasy and faint, but there was no other choice. There was no way Captain Raines would allow her to assist anyone on the crew.  
“I know that. But I don’t have to be around the injuries all the time. I can help make medicines and sterilize your tools and cut bandages. Please, Claire?”  
She ended up agreeing and Skylar was able to start right away. She was so thankful for the work. More often than not, Claire would sit her at a table with instruments that needed cleaning, or packing and organizing herbs, or with piles upon piles of cloth to rip; and this would keep her busy for hours. She would get into a rhythm and fully zone out, letting her mind go completely blank. Or she would be so hyper focused on the details of the instructions to make medicines that her brain wouldn’t allow any other thoughts in. This enabled her to not be consumed with stress and worry for a few hours a day, and warrant her to actually relax.   
After close to two months, Skylar and Marsali were used to having most of their meals in their cabin. They much preferred eating in the company of each rather than with 30 men who looked at them like pieces of meat. This time, Fergus had joined them.   
“Well well well, isn’t this a turn of events. It looks like I’m chaperoning you,” Skylar teased.   
Fergus rolled his eyes. “This is only temporary. Milord will come around soon and allow us to really marry. He has to.” He and Marsali looked at each other and held each other’s hand. “I canna say it will be the same for you, ma soeur.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“When we have Ian again and you two finally say how you feel, Milord will never let you out of his sight. Even more than he has before.”  
Skylar blushed. Even though Fergus had known she loved Ian for a long time and she was no longer keeping it a secret, it was still awkward to talk about it.  
“I don’t know about that,” she said quietly.  
“Why? Didn’t ye want te tell him?” Marsali asked.  
“I do, but…I just don’t think he’s gonna say it back.”  
“You’re not being serious, right?” Fergus responded, slightly stunned at her statement.  
“Life isn’t fair like that. Why would he return my feelings? I’m not half good enough for him.”  
“Yer talkin’ words of nonsense, ye ken,” Marsali told her.   
“I mean, Janet said she thought he did, but he never actually said anything about it, so there’s no way she could’ve really known. And I just don’t think he could.”  
“Skylar,” he said, standing to be more eye level with her as she sat on the top bunk, “I love you dearly, but you can be tres insenee, very foolish. Ian is terribly in love with you.”  
“But how could you poss-”  
“I know this,” he interrupted her, “because he told me.”  
Skylar’s heart nearly stopped. “What do you-what do you mean he told you?”  
He smiled. “He talked to me all the time about how in love with you he is. Whenever you were not around. He would say how he has never felt this way for anyone and how happy you make him and he wants only you. He just thought that you did not feel the same.”  
If her heart had stopped a minute ago, it was working overtime now. She could feel her face heating up and her mouth went dry. She just stared at Fergus without saying anything.  
“Are ye alright, Skylar?” Marsali asked, touching her shoulder.  
“Why did you never tell me?” she questioned.  
“You kept saying you felt nothing for him but friendship. Why would I say anything?” he answered.  
“You knew that wasn’t true! You knew how I felt about him!”  
“It wasn’t mine to tell. It wouldn’t have been right to hear it from me. Same with telling him about you.”  
“But it’s right now?”  
“Now, it seemed like I had no other option. I tried to convince him to tell you for weeks, both times he came to Edinburgh. But he refused. He kept saying he did not want to risk losing you all together. He was scared you would not want to continue being his friend if you found out.”  
 _Omigod, he felt the same. This whole time. The same about everything._   
For the first time in nearly 8 weeks, Skylar felt happy. A genuine smile grew on her face. Her stomach hurt, but not with fear and worry; but with excitement and good nerves, the same way it felt when she was around Ian.   
Knowing that they could actually be together, her anxiety over finding him quickly, safe and alive increased infinitely. This was no longer a rescue mission for her best friend. This was a charge to bring back the love of her life and the man her future revolved around.   
“Do you feel that?” Fergus asked, bringing her out of her head.  
“Feel what?” Marsali responded.  
“Exactly.” He walked to the tiny window and peered out. He looked confused then turned back to the girls. “We’re not moving.”  
“What do you mean we’re not moving? We’re in a boat on water, we have to be moving,” Skylar said, some distress coming into her voice. She got down from the bed and Fergus moved aside to let her look. He was right. The water was still and so was their ship. Her head whipped to the Frenchman and his handfasted wife. “Why are we stopped?”   
She didn’t wait for the answer of ‘I don’t know.’ She sped out of her room and to the deck, Fergus and Marsali right behind her.   
When they got up top, they saw the crew had gathered, all chatting in confusion about what happened. The three pushed their way to the front of the group where they saw Jamie and Claire talking to Captain Raines; while at the same time, Willoughby was pulling what looked like acupuncture out of Jamie’s face. Skylar couldn’t care less about that though.  
“What happened? Why did we stop?” she demanded to know, looking between Jamie and Raines.   
“It’s the wind that has stopped, Miss Kelley,” the captain answered. “And unfortunately, without it, we are unable to proceed.”  
“How could we have just lost the wind? We’re in the middle of the goddamn ocean! Isn’t the wind just like, constant?” She rolled her eyes and the gasps and mumblings that came from the crew at her cursing.  
“Is it common te lose the wind in these latitudes?” Jamie asked Raines.  
“No, it’s bad luck,” Warren, Captain Raines’ First Mate, spoke up. “Someone’s brought this on us by their neglect.”  
“It’s a bit unusual for this season, but there’s no cause for concern,” Raines said, answering Jamie’s question himself.   
“No cause for concern?! Are you joking?!” Skylar yelled. “We’re already weeks behind the Bruja! God knows where they are by now!”  
“Skylar, please try to calm-” Claire started, placing her hands on the girl’s shoulders. But the teenager pushed her off.  
“Don’t touch me!” Claire backed off, not wanting to further agitate her. Skylar turned back to Raines. “This delay is only going to push us back farther. There’s really nothing we can do?”  
“We canna bring the wind back ourselves, lass,” Jamie said. “We can only wait fer it te return. And it will. We just have te try te be patient.”  
Skylar grit her teeth and crossed her arms, her anger and frustration almost at a breaking point.   
“I say it’s the Chinaman,” Warren said, going back to his bad luck theory. If he had been in front of her at that moment, Skylar would’ve punched him the face at that thought; or at least would have tried to. She could feel everyone’s head collectively turning to Willoughby.  
“It’s not him,” Baxley, the second Mate, countered. “Saw the Chinee touch the horseshoe.”  
“Well, why don’t we all just line up and touch the horseshoe now?” Claire suggested. “And that way we can make sure everyone has complied with the rules of the ship.”  
“Aye, good idea,” Hayes agreed. Skylar turned to look at him and could tell that he was trying to hide a panicked expression from his face.  
“Too late fer that. Must be done at the beginnin’ of a voyage,” Baxley explained. She saw Hayes swallow hard and look down. Something was wrong.  
“Fear not. The wind will return,” Raines assured the crowd. “We must endeavor to be ready when it does.” With that, he walked away and returned to his original post, and the rest of the crew returned to work as well. Hayes hesitated, still seeming very nervous and anxious. But he brought himself out of it and went about his tasks. Skylar wanted to check with him and see what was going on, but she decided against it.   
_It would probably only add to Warren’s idea of bad luck if he saw me talking to one of the crew._  
Instead, she walked to the side of the ship. She gripped the ledge and looked out. She had never seen an ocean so completely calm and still. And she wished she wasn’t looking at one now. She closed her eyes and took a large breath in, letting it out slowly.   
“We’re never going to catch up to them,” she said when she noticed Claire standing next to her. “We’re going to be too late.”  
“Don’t say that. We’ll be moving again very soon and we will find the Bruja and get Ian back.” She tucked some hair behind the girl’s ear in a soothing motherly way. “He’s going to be fine, darling. I promise you.”  
“Can you though? Promise me that?” She looked up at the older woman.  
“I can, because I know Jamie is doing everything in and beyond his power to make sure that happens. He is not going to stop until his nephew is back and locked in his room at Lallybroch.”  
Skylar chuckled. “I will personally guard his door to make sure he doesn’t leave.”  
That night, after being force fed a couple bites of meat and a quarter of a potato, Skylar laid in bed next to Claire, again, wide awake.   
The near overwhelming joy she had experienced earlier in the day after learning that Ian loved her back had nearly vanished. It was replaced by anger at Captain Raines for not trying to think of some kind of solution, apprehension and uncertainty about when and if they would ever start moving again and how this was just adding distance between them and the Bruja, and unbearable heartache at continuing to be seperated from the boy she loved, who loved her, and still having no way of knowing if he was okay. With all her being, she wanted nothing more than to have him next to her at this moment. To hold his hand and press herself as close to him as she could get, just to know he was there. She knew their journey to find him had barely begun and there was a long ways to go. But she felt that if she didn’t see him or touch him soon, her heart was going to actually break in half.   
Knowing she wasn’t going to fall asleep any time soon, she carefully and quietly got out of bed and walked out of the cabin. She climbed onto the deck and was thankful that, even without the wind, it was a good deal cooler out here than it was below.   
She leaned on the ship’s ledge, just looking out. It was pitch black, save for the moonlight which cast an eerie purple shadow onto the water. She stared at the near full moon. She smiled sadly when she found the face in it.   
She remembered the day her mother’s doctors had said there was no more that could be done, and they were very sorry and they would do everything to make her as comfortable as possible. Skylar couldn’t stop crying and shouting. They were going to give up? Just like that? No, they had to keep trying! There had to be a way to fix her!  
Her mom took her hand and had her lay in her bed with her. She told her that there was no reason to be angry or afraid. Just because her time on Earth was coming to an end didn’t mean she was gone forever. She was just leaving Earth to live on the moon. And every time Skylar looked up and saw the moon’s face smiling down, it would be her, smiling at her daughter; reminding her that she was still there and watching her grow into the most incredible woman she knew she would turn out to be.  
Skylar knew her mom was just trying to comfort her and make what was to come the least bit less painful. She knew she was not living on the moon. Even so, for the two years she lived through after her mother’s death, she found herself desperately searching for the face at times when she needed her mom, and feeling comfort when she found it.   
And that’s what she was doing now. She stared up at the smile, hundreds of thousands of miles away, and held tight to the charm around her neck.  
“I don’t know how this works now,” she started. “I mean, you’re not even born so you definitely haven’t died yet. So, I don’t know, I might be talking to no one. But Mom, if there’s some way future you in Heaven can hear me…please, Mom. I need your help. My friend is in danger and I’m so scared. We have to find him. And the only way we can do that is for the wind to come back. If you could maybe tell God, or whoever is in charge of the wind up there, to send it back to us, I would be so grateful.” She sniffed, a couple tears running down her cheeks. “I wish so much you were here with me, Mom. I don’t know how to…how to deal with this. High school doesn’t prepare you for what to do when you go back to the 1700s and end up having to chase down pirates to Jamaica.” She let out a sad chuckle. “We never really got to talk about boys and all that stuff. And I could really use your advice. My friend that’s missing, his name is Ian.” She went on to tell her mother on the moon all about Ian and their friendship and how it could progress into something more. “So, if there’s any way you could send something, anything, to help us find him, please do it. For me. Mom, I love you so much and I miss you painfully. You’re the one thing about the 21st Century I wish I had here. But I know that if you were here, you would say, ‘Skylar, go to bed. Staying up and worrying about wind is not going help anything.’ That’s what Claire told me too. She’s a time traveler, like me. I guess I should listen to you both. Thanks for listening, Mom. I love you. Goodnight. See you tomorrow.”


	16. Jonah

As each day passed, everyone aboard the Artemis would pray for the wind to return. And each day, it did not. The endless days turned into weeks. For over three weeks, they all sat motionless in the middle of the ocean with nothing to do but wait.  
Everyone’s patience and anxiety was being tested, but none more than Skylar. All of the crew knew to steer clear of her as best they could. She was so on edge that if someone coughed wrong it would set her off.   
She tried to let work as Claire’s assistant consume her. She made triple the amount of herb packs than were needed, she would clean the same tools ten times a day even when they weren’t used, she wrote extra copies of directions on how to make and use different medicines just to have something more to do. But it didn’t work. As the days dragged on, the only thing she could think about was how this was another day they were falling behind the Bruja.   
She was eating and sleeping even less than what she was before. She wasn’t forcing herself not to, her body just wouldn’t allow it. She couldn’t keep any food down, and her distress, growing exponentially every day, kept her awake. This was her hell and she saw no end of this torture in sight.  
She tried telling herself, _There’s no way this can get any worse._  
She was wrong.  
Though she was hardly eating, she was drinking water to keep herself cool from the sun and from getting dehydrated. Fergus had gone to get her and Marsali some as the three sat in her cabin for dinner that night. And she was very surprised with what he came back with.   
“Where’s the rest of it?” she asked him. Both of their cups were not even half full.  
“Captain Raines has ordered us to reduce to half rations,” he told them. “Bilge water has got into our fresh water supply and nearly all of them are spoiled. We have only 5 casks that are still drinkable.”  
Skylar gripped her cup tight and closed her eyes, willing herself not to scream.   
“What are we supposed te do then?” Marsali questioned. “5 barrels is not enough for gettin’ te Jamaica. Let alone waitin’ fer the wind te return.”  
“We need it to rain. It’s the only way we’ll get more water. There is no land for hundreds of miles for us to restock at.”  
“Not that we could get there anyway,” Skylar stated. “There has…there has to be something we can do. We can’t just sit here and do nothing. Something needs to happen!”  
“The crew are wanting to take matters into their own hands.”  
“How?”  
“They believe Warren about someone bringing the bad luck onto us and they want to find the Jonah and throw him overboard.”  
“That’s their idea on how to fix this? Kill someone?” Fergus just shrugged, not sure of what to say.   
Skylar let out a sharp breath and got off the bed. She opened the door to leave when Marsali said, “Where are ye goin’?”  
“I don’t know,” she answered, not looking back.   
She walked down the narrow hall, feeling just about every negative emotion a human could possibly feel. She was starting to feel dizzy and her head was starting to pound. She ended up on the deck and as she passed through it, she saw some of the men who hadn’t gone below for the night just sitting around and doing nothing. They seemed not to have a care in the world. That made her face got hot with anger.   
_Am I truly the only one on this ship who understands and cares about the severity of what is happening?_   
They all wanted to get sailing again, but it seemed to be more out of boredom rather than to rescue Ian.   
_I hope he’s not afraid. He knows we’re coming for him. He has to,_ she thought as she continued her destinationless trek around the ship. _If anything happens to him before we get to him, I’m holding Captain Raines personally responsible._  
Her head in such a fog and not paying attention to where she was going, she didn’t see the man walking towards her until she collided into him.  
“Excuse me, sir,” she said, voice strained. She went to walk around him but an arm stopped her. “Let me through, please!” She looked up and saw it was Jamie; Claire was behind him. They were coming back from having dinner with Raines.   
“Skylar, why are ye walkin’ around by yerself at night?” he asked her, obviously disapproving.   
“Cause,” she answered in a typically teenage fashion.  
“Where were you going?” Claire followed.  
“Nowhere.” The adults looked at her, their faces saying they needed more than that. She crossed her arms. “I’m too angry to stay in one spot. I-I feel like I’m going to explode at any second. No one seems to give a shit why we’re here on this glorified piece of driftwood in the first place and I can’t-I can’t handle it anymore! I feel like I need…I don’t know, I just…” She couldn’t think of the right words. She was taking audibly big deep breaths and her nails were digging into her arms.   
Jamie had an idea for how she could get her anger out. He turned to Claire, who was clearly so upset that she could do nothing to calm the girl, and said, “Return te yer cabin, Sassenach. Skylar and I are goin’ te…clear out some storage.”  
Skylar gave him a look that said, “what the hell do you mean by that?” Claire also seemed confused, but Jamie’s face told her he had a plan.  
“Please come back to the room before it gets too late,” she said to the young girl and walked away.  
“Follow me,” Jamie said to her. She didn’t argue, she wasn’t in the mood to. She just wanted whatever he had in mind over with as soon as possible.  
Jamie led her down the hall and they stopped in front of a closed door.  
“What did you mean by clearing out storage?” Skylar asked.   
“I heard ye’ve taken te breaking things te get out yer frustrations,” he said.  
 _Damn it, Marsali._  
“Just that one time,” she mumbled, looking down.   
He looked at her and opened the door. Inside, there were probably a dozen or so barrels all lying around.  
“These were holdin’ the spoiled water,” he explained. “They canna hold anythin’ else fer fear they could ruin whatever is put in them because of the bilge left behind in them. So we have te get rid of them.” Skylar still didn’t understand. He walked more inside the room, beckoning her to follow. He picked up one of the hammers the crew used and held it out to her. “Maybe ye’d like te help break them apart?”  
She looked from the tool to Jamie, almost to say, “Really? Are you sure?” He nodded.   
She took the hammer and almost dropped it. It was heavier than she expected. But she got a good grip on it and walked over to one of the casks. She looked back at him once more and he gestured for her to go ahead.  
She raised it as high as she could and brought it down hard, making it form a huge crack. She hit it again and broke through it. Something inside of her snapped and she couldn’t stop. She attacked each cask with more and more fury. She yelled and shouted and screamed each time the hammer made contact. She was so grateful Jamie thought to let her do this. Smashing each piece of wood allowed her to release the exasperation, frustration and pain that had been building in her and had only been made worse by this delay. Even when there were no whole casks left, she made blow after blow on the smaller pieces. When she was finally feeling rid of the bulk of her rage, she stopped. Breathing heavily, she looked around at the mess. She remembered watching the TV show Gilmore Girls, when the characters Lorelai and Rory threw eggs at a car to get rid of their anger. She hadn’t understood how being destructive could help with that, but now she did. She wished she had 100 more casks to destroy.  
Having heard her stop, Jamie opened the door and came back in. He had left her in there alone and had been guarding the door so anyone suspicious of the noise would not disturb her.  
He came next to her and they stood in silence for a while.  
“What are…how are we getting rid of all of this now?” she asked him, still panting. She handed him back the hammer, having not felt it’s weight again until now.  
“We’ll throw it inte the sea. Our glorified piece of driftwood will make some of its own.” He looked down at her and smiled softly. “I dinna care fer Young Ian in the same way ye do, of course. But I do love him deeply. And I think of him and worry fer him every minute of every day that we are on Godforsaken ship. I am unable te show that though. I have te be able te stand before me men strong and without showin’ weakness. But believe me, Skylar. I am all too aware of why we are here and where we’re goin’.”  
Skylar looked up at him and met his eyes. For the first time since they started sailing, she saw the fear and anguish he felt for Ian, the same as her. Guilt overtook her. How could she have even thought for a moment that he stopped caring about their mission. She didn’t just have her best friend taken from her, Jamie was robbed of his nephew, his family. She felt so selfish for thinking this only impacted her.   
“Dinna fash, lass. Ye dinna need te feel sorry,” he told her, reading her mind. “Yer unfortunately right in yer thoughts about many of our crew, Captain Raines included. They dinna see the severity of what’s at stake. But ye, me, Claire, Fergus, Willoughby, we ken it. Lesley and Hayes as well. Marsali too. We ken what needs te be done in order te get te Ian, and we’ll no let anyone tell us otherwise. I swear on God himself, lass. We’re gonna find him. I’ll get me nephew back, and ye yer lad.”  
Not knowing what to say in response, Skylar just wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. She felt him hug her back. They stayed embraced for a full minute before Jamie pulled from her and finished with, “I’d best bring ye back te yer room. I’m sure Claire is worried sick about ye.”  
Feeling such relief after her catharsis, and tired out from breaking apart multiple barrels by herself, she was actually able to sleep that night.   
The next morning, everyone was in shock at how much more calm Skylar seemed to be. She even was able to eat something close to a breakfast. She was still plenty angry over being stuck in the middle of the ocean, only adding days onto their voyage. But she didn’t feel like a lit powder keg about to explode anymore. She had forced herself to accept that the wind leaving them was no one’s fault and she did just have to wait.   
Feeling a bit more relaxed than she had been since day 1, she decided to take advantage of that and try to catch up on weeks, basically, of no sleep. Marsali and Claire agreed to stay out of the cabin for the day to allow her to do so. Her body still fought it, but not as strongly and she was eventually able to fall asleep. It didn’t last long though.  
After no more than just two hours, she was woken up by shouting. She sat up and tried to hear what was being said. The noise was coming from above deck, but she couldn’t make out any specific words. All the voices were blending together into a cacophony of angry sounds. She got out of bed and went to see what was happening.   
She walked outside into what only could be described as an angry mob. They were all directing their shouts at something above them. She looked up and say Hayes sitting on one of the masts, drinking what looked like whiskey. She could now hear a single word that everyone seemed to be calling him, “Jonah.” She knew what that meant, Jamie had explained it to her the night before when she asked.   
“It comes from the Book of Jonah in the Bible,” he told her. “Jonah was a man on a ship that was hit by a horrific storm, and it only subsided when he was thrown overboard. If someone aboard a ship is branded a Jonah, he is seen as someone who has brought bad luck to the crew and is endangering them. And the crew will cast him overboard in the hopes their luck will turn.”  
Skylar’s eyes widened in fear as she realized what was happening. The men thought Hayes their Jonah.   
She pushed her way to the front of the mob and stood with Jamie, Claire and Lesley. She saw Fergus off to the side, trying to keep Marsali away from the everyone.   
“Why does everyone think he’s the Jonah? What did he do?” she asked Lesley.  
“They say he didna touch the horseshoe, and he canna remember if he did or no,” he told her. “He scurried up there, tried te get away from the mob. But now he’s thinkin’ they might be right.”  
“He says that if he is to die, he will do it himself and jump into the sea,” Willoughby added, having come over to them.  
“What?!” Skylar exclaimed. She jumped when she heard glass shatter near her. Hayes had thrown down his bottle of alcohol.   
“Christ,” Jamie muttered. “Hayes!” He walked to the base of the mast and tried to talk to him. “Ye havena cursed us, Hayes.”  
“Even so, we’re goin’ te run out of water and die,” he called back.   
“We won’t! I promise!” Jamie started to climb the ropes leading up to where Hayes sat. As he did, the crew scattered around Skylar were yelling at Jamie to let him be, and shouting at Hayes to jump and be done with it. “Have I not always told ye the truth?”   
“Dinna waste the climb, Mac Dubh!”   
Skylar’s heart raced as she saw Jamie continue up. She didn’t want to believe that Hayes would actually do this, but she was so scared that the hate coming from nearly everyone below would push him over.   
“You have to stop this!” she heard Claire yell. She turned to her and saw her voice was directed to Raines, who was calmly standing at the top of the stairs and observing, like he was a child watching cartoons instead of witnessing what might become a murder or suicide of one of his crew.   
“I don’t if it staves off a mutiny,” was all he said in response.   
“Is that all you care about? Staying captain of this piece of crap boat?” Skylar shouted to him as well. “Your men want to take an innocent life and you just really don’t care as long as you have your precious title!”  
“I would stay out of matter you know nothing about, Miss Kelley. This is not your place to speak.” Skylar started towards him, wanting to throttle him, but Claire caught her and wordlessly brought her back to everyone. The young woman glared at the man, then turned back to her friend. She saw Jamie was now standing on the mast as well, and Hayes had moved closer to the edge.   
“If they wanna throw ye overboard, they’ll have te throw me first,” Jamie was saying to him. “And Lesley, Fergus, even Willoughby.” Hayes refused to listen.  
“Get back. I have te do it,” he said and moved himself off the mast, hanging onto the wood and balancing on a piece of rope. Skylar’s breath got caught in her throat and she was sure her heart stopped for a moment.   
“Hold on! If ye do jump, well, I would have te go in after ye.” Jamie sat on the mast, not breaking eye contact from Hayes. “And if ye make me do that, then ye ken me wife will kill the both of us. And Skylar will as well, fer we will have just continued our delay to Jamaica. Ye dinna want te upset the two of them, aye? Their wrath separate is fearsome, but together…ye dinna want it, trust me.” Hayes looked down at the group below. Skylar could tell his mind was racing. “I’ll not let harm befall ye. Ye have me word.” Jamie held his hand out to him, begging him to take out. He just looked at it.   
Skylar couldn’t watch this anymore. “Gavin!” she called to him. “Please, you can’t do this!” She knew he heard her. “I need you here with me on this voyage! You’re the only one on the crew who talks to me and respects me. Please! I don’t want to feel anymore alone on this ship then I already do.” Hayes still held unwavering to his spot. “Don-don’t you want to see Ian rescued? I’m gonna be quite the show to watch when I see him again. And you and Fergus and Lesley can all gang up and make fun of us.” She added one last thing. “I’ve already lost one friend, Gavin. I’m begging you, do not make me lose another.”  
She kept her eyes locked on him as Jamie inched his way closer to him, laying flat on the post with his arm stretched out. “We will no let them touch ye,” he said. “If they try, they’ll be the ones goin’ overboard, not ye.”  
After another agonizing 10 seconds, Skylar saw Hayes take Jamie’s hand and she felt a thousand pound weight had been lifted off of her chest. But as Jamie went to pull Hayes to him, Hayes slipped and started swinging from Jamie’s hand. Skylar grasped at her chest, some of the panic returning. But she could finally breath again when Hayes caught onto the rope ladder and climbed down to the deck.   
As soon as he had both feet down, she sprinted to him and nearly crushed him in her arms. She pulled from him and looked him in the eyes saying, “I made Ian promise me he would never scare me so close to death again after he nearly died in a fire, now I’m making you do the same thing. Swear to me, swear on my life, that you will never do that again to me, Gavin. Swear it!”  
“I swear it,” he told her. “I do.”   
Though she felt near overwhelming relief over her friend’s safety, the reaction from the rest of the crew grew more hostile. They continued shouting that he was meant to die and they were sending him into the water.   
“You will do no such thing!” Claire screamed at them.   
One of the crew turned to her and yelled back plainly, “He’s the Jonah! Over the side with him!”  
The men started to close in on Hayes, chanting “Jonah”, as Jamie and Lesley stood in front of him, ready to do what they must to protect him. Jamie started shoving some who got too close and a fight was starting to break out. Fergus pulled Skylar away from it and planted her next to Marsali while he joined in the brawl, trying to defend Jamie.   
“What the hell is wrong with them?” Skylar asked rhetorically. She and Marsali just watched in shock until everything was interrupted by a bell sounding. Everyone turned towards it and saw Willoughby was the one ringing it.   
When everyone had stopped and stood looking at him, he started speaking. “I was born Yi Tien Cho, in Guangzhou, the City of Rams.” He continued above the crew’s calls of protests against him. “I was found early to have skill in composition, to make the images of my brush resemble the ideas that dance like cranes in my mind. I became known as the fung-wong, a bird of fire. My poetry came before the eyes of Wan-Mei, he emperor’s second wife. She asked that I join her household in Pekin, the Imperial City.” Skylar was intrigued by the story, but had no idea what his point could possibly be.  
“Mr. Willoughby, stand down,” Raines ordered.   
“Let the man speak, Captain,” Jamie shot back. He gave Willoughby a nod to go on.   
“It was a great honor,” he continued, “my name inscribed in the Book of Merit. But there is a condition, all servants of the royal wives must be eunuchs.”  
Skylar raised her eyebrows at that, able to feel the uncomfortable energy from all the men at that statement.   
“What’s a eunuch?” Marsali asked Fergus, who had rejoined them.   
“I’ll tell you later,” he said back.   
“It was most dishonorable to refuse the Emperor’s gift. It was a death sentence. And yet, I had fallen in love. With woman.”  
“The Emperor’s wife?” Claire wondered.  
“Not a woman. All woman. Their beauty blooming like lotus flowers, the taste of their breasts like apricots, the scent of a naval in the winter, the warmth of a mound that fills your hand like a ripe peach.” Skylar couldn’t help but blush at his descriptions. She and Marsali subtly glanced at each other, both feeling a little awkward. “I fled on the Night of the Lanterns. As the fireworks shot from the palace roof, I left my house and came to a place where the golden words of my poems are taken as the clucking of hens, and my brushstrokes for their scratchings. For the love of woman, I am come to a place where no woman is worthy of love, to a place where woman as coarse and rank as bear, creatures of no grace! And these woman disdain me as a yellow worm, so that even the lowest of whores will not lie with me!” He paused. Everyone was silent, wanting desperately to know what he would say next. He spoke again, much softer, “By not surrendering my manhood, I have lost all else. Honor, livelihood, country. Sometimes, I think, not worth it.” All eyes were glued to him as he walked to the side of the ship and climbed onto the ledge. Some of the men went towards him, thinking he was going to jump.   
_Please, no. Not you too, Willoughby,_ Skylar thought as she watched.   
But he didn’t jump. He threw the papers he had been holding over the edge; but they didn’t fall into the water. They floated away, carried by a breeze.  
“Wind,” Skylar said, a smile starting to grow on her face. “The wind is back!”  
Everyone felt it too, and they could see the sails moving.   
“We have wind!” Warren cried, and everyone started cheering and shouting happily.   
“Man the sheets, lads,” Raines called out, not wanting to waste a moment. All the crew immediately jumped into action. Skylar was so happy, tears of joy welled in her eyes. She knew that talking to her mom that night didn’t have anything to do with the wind returning. But she still found herself saying a silent thank you to her mom, feeling some comfort in that. And just when they thought the wind was the greatest miracle, the sky darkened and thunder rolled. Skylar’s smile went from ear to ear as she faced upwards and let the rain fall on her.   
“You need to get inside, Sky. You’re getting soaked,” Fergus said to her.  
“No. I want to enjoy this,” she told him. She closed her eyes and ran her hands over her face and her dripping hair. She didn’t know why, but in this moment, she felt hopeful. She truly believed they were going to find Ian and he would be okay and everything would be fine. They had gone through what had to be the worst they would experience on this voyage. Nothing else could possibly be in their way.


	17. The Porpoise

The Artemis seemed to be making up for lost time. They sailed without trouble or stops for close to another month. The rain had provided them with plenty of water to last until they reached Jamaica, and none of the men showed any problem with Hayes after that chaotic day. Everyone aboard was sure they would not face any more obstacles in getting to their destination. They were soon going to find out just how wrong they were.  
Skylar had finally settled back into a routine. In the mornings, she would eat what she could stomach and would then join Claire in her makeshift surgery for close to the rest of the day. She would eat dinner with Marsali, and sometimes Fergus, in their cabin, then would be on the deck on her own for a while, collecting her thoughts and calming her mind as much as she could so that she would fall asleep. She would go to bed, then do it all exactly the same the next day.   
This cycle she created gave her a sense of purpose and helped to keep her focused on anything other than Ian; at least during the day. While she kept herself busy during the day, she was able to keep him in the back of her mind and not let thoughts of him dominate her. But at night, when it was quiet and dark and everyone but her was asleep, she would allow thoughts of him to fill her head. But not thoughts of him being in danger. She would play out memories of laughing and joking with him. She remembered them staying awake until the sun came up sometimes, just talking about absolutely nothing. She remembered the pure and unadulterated joy she felt whenever she was around him, even before she realized her feelings for him. She would imagine the future she wanted so much to make with him. Back in Scotland, they would both find work and make a life for themselves in Edinburgh. Find a room in a tavern for them to live in, get married, and start a family. They would be together, at peace and safe. But she knew in order for that to happen, to be able to feel that unparalleled happiness with him again, they needed to find him. And something inside of her was finally believing they actually would.  
“I swear to God, I’m starting to think the men on this ship are injuring themselves on purpose with how many are coming to us each day,” Claire said. She had just finished bandaging a member of the crew’s hand after a knife slip gave him a nasty cut.   
Skylar laughed. “Well, if I was under Captain Raines’ command I would do whatever I needed to to get away from him.” She gathered the instruments that had been used and the soiled rags, putting them on her own small table to clean later. She found that working alongside Claire and witnessing nearly every type and severity level of injury, her queasiness over blood was starting to lessen. She had started assisting Claire to tending the men, handing off tools and adding pressure to or cleaning open wounds when asked, or holding someone still if a bone needed to be set. She was given the responsibility of taking care of the more minor injuries herself, such as splinters, wrapping smaller cuts that didn’t need stitching, and prescribing medicines for various illnesses or afflictions.   
Claire smiled in amusement at her comment. “I would feel the exact same way. The man really doesn’t understand compassion, does he?”  
“No, he definitely does not.”  
Claire watched the younger girl as she gathered the necessary materials to start cleaning.  
“You’ve really turned your mindset around regarding everything. I can’t tell you how glad I am about that, you know how concerned I was about you. But what made you get so…hopeful? You were so pessimistic and angry, we all thought you were going to end up murdering someone before long.”  
Skylar sat down at her table as she answered. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m still as scared and worried as I’ve been since this whole thing started. But, I don’t know. Something just, like…shifted in me, if that makes sense, when the wind and rain came back. It was almost like it was my mom telling me I don’t need to feel doubt over anything, that it’s all going to be okay and he will be okay. And I’m doing my damndest to believe that. And it’s also like you said on day one, making myself feel sick or letting my anger get the best of me isn’t going to help Ian any.” Claire smiled at her. “And going full Hulk on the empty casks didn’t hurt either.” She saw the Englishwoman give her an odd look. “Claire, you know who the Hulk is, don’t you? He was around in the 1960s.”  
“I’ve heard of him. We did have a couple comic books in the pediatric wing at the hospital. He’s that big angry green fellow, isn’t he?”  
Skylar chuckled. “Yeah, that’s him. Superheroes are seen as idols in the 2000s and people are obsessed over them. I don’t think I could count on both hands and feet how many mega blockbuster movies have been made about all the different ones.”  
“When I was around your age, the biggest movies to come out were The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind. I must’ve seen each one probably 5 times just in the theater.”  
“Movies had sound and color when you were my age?” Skylar asked, with earnest surprise.  
“Yes,” Claire told her, laughing lightly. “It was still relatively new when those films came out but I wasn’t subjected to seeing the Emerald City in silence and black and white.”  
Their conversation was cut short when they heard what could only be a cannon firing.  
“Is someone shooting at us?” Skylar questioned, some alarm in her voice.   
Not giving an answer, Claire started for the stairs with Skylar following. “Stay here,” she ordered.   
“But I-”  
“We don’t know who this or what they want. It could be something dangerous, and I am not risking anything happening to you. Stay here. I’ll be back.” She turned around and went above.   
Reluctantly, Skylar sat back her in chair. She didn’t hear any more shots go off, so she thought that whoever this was didn’t want to hurt them. As she waited, she felt the ship slow to a stop.  
“Oh my fucking God,” she whispered under her breath. “This better be quick.”  
After a number of minutes, she wanted to know what was happening, so she went up the stairs and peeked out just enough to see and hear.  
She saw a man board that looked barely older than her. He introduced himself as Thomas Leonard, the captain of a ship called The Porpoise. She heard him say with clear panic in his voice, “For the love of God, have you a surgeon on board?”  
It was quiet for a moment, then Claire stepped forward and said, “What seems to be problem? Are you or any of your crew sick or hurt?”  
“I believe it would be better if we didn’t speak of it in such an open space,” Captain Leonard responded.  
“Of course. If you’ll follow me to my cabin, Captain, we can converse there,” Raines offered.  
Skylar quickly ducked down as the two captains, Claire and Jamie walked past. When they were gone, she climbed out onto the deck.  
“What’s going on?” she asked Fergus as she walked to him and Marsali.   
“No idea. But he has some issue that requires Milady’s assistance,” he told her.   
“Well, whatever it is, I hope it’s an easy fix. We finally started moving. I don’t wanna be stuck here forever and a day again. At this point, I might as well swim to Jamaica. I’d get there faster.”  
They waited around for about 15 minutes with no one knowing what to do until, at last, the four reappeared.   
“Warren!” Raines called out. “Prepare the boat to bring Captain Leonard back to the Porpoise. Mistress Fraser will be accompanying him.”  
“Wait, what?” Skylar was very confused.   
“There’s an outbreak of typhoid fever spreading through the crew on the Porpoise,” Claire told her. “I’m going over to see if there’s anything I can do to help and show them what they need to do to contain it.”  
“If this typhoid fever is running rampant, should you be exposing yourself to it, Milady?” Fergus spoke, obviously concerned.  
“I’ll be perfectly fine, I promise you.” She looked to Skylar and mouthed, “Vaccine,” subtle enough that no one else could read her lips, but the fellow time traveler understood.  
“I can go with you and help. It’ll be easier and go quicker with two people. I’m sure I would be fine as well,” Skylar offered. It hadn’t been mandatory for her to get a vaccine for typhoid fever when she was a child, but she thought maybe with her 21st century immune system she might be able to fight it.  
“No. I need you to stay here in case anyone gets hurt while I’m gone.” She quickly added, “I’m quite certain nothing serious will happen in the one or two hours I’m not here” seeing the teenager’s face get nervous.  
“Mistress Fraser, if you please,” Captain Leonard said with some urgency, starting down the ladder to the boat below.  
“I still dinna like this at all,” Jamie told her. Claire turned to him and took his face with both hands.  
“I’ll be back before you know it,” she assured him and kissed him.  
Skylar tensed and let out a small shaky breath at her promise. Her mind flashed back to Ian about to start his swim to Silkie Island, and making her a very similar vow.   
_“I’ll be there and back before ye ken it. Nothin’s goin’ te happen.”_  
She just prayed that Claire was able to keep her word and nothing would go wrong.

OUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDER

An hour had passed since Claire had gone to the Porpoise. Skylar kept herself in the surgery, continuing to clean the tools, rip new bandages and straighten up the room. It would be an understatement to say she was nervous to be left alone to deal with the men’s injuries herself, even for just a short amount of time. But thankfully no one got seriously hurt. One was sent to her after having getting a rope burn which she simply disinfected with some alcohol and used part of an aloe plant that Claire kept to soothe the burn. She wrapped his hand in a fresh cloth and sent him on his way. Hayes came to her with a nasty splinter which took slightly more effort to get out, but she was able to do it. He stayed down with her for a little while after, thinking she might want some company, and she was very grateful for it.   
They were interrupted by Marsali coming down the stairs. She stopped short when she saw Hayes.  
“Hey, Marsali,” Skylar greeted her. “Did you need something? Is someone hurt?”  
“Oh, no. I was lookin’ fer ye and Fergus said ye were still down here and I didna want ye te be alone,” she answered.   
“I should go back te the deck anyway. Captain Raines doesna like his crew wanderin’ off,” Hayes said. “Thank ye fer yer help, Dr. Skylar.” He jokingly saluted her with his bandaged hand and she laughed as he left.  
“Ye dinna get scared bein’ alone wi’ one of the crew like that? Ye dinna think he might…try to do somethin’?” Marsali asked when he was gone, walking to Skylar.  
“With Gavin, not in the least. He would never hurt a fly. He would only harm someone if they were trying to harm him.” She leaned her body against the table and sighed. “Did you see Jamie up there? How’s he holding up?”  
“He’s on edge. His eyes have no left the other ship since his woman boarded it. Wouldn’t it be nice though if she stayed on the Porpoise and didna return te us. It would ease me mind greatly.”  
All Skylar said in response, not hiding the annoyance in her voice, was, “Marsali, please.” She was more than fed up with her friend’s comments about Claire. But she knew that fighting with her about it would do no more than talking to a brick wall.  
“Sorry,” she mumbled back.   
Before either could say anything else, they heard a commotion from outside, people shouting and the stamping of feet.  
Figuring it was the crew getting back in their positions to sail, Skylar sighed in relief. “I think we’re leaving again. Thank God.” Marsali followed as she went up the stairs to find Claire and ask about the state of the Porpoise. But when she got out, it wasn’t Claire that she saw. She saw Jamie with his fists grasping Captain Raines’ jacket, pulling his face close to his, and they were surrounded by men from both sides with their weapons drawn.   
“Tell your men to scabbard their blades,” Raines demanded of the Scot. Jamie seemed like he would rather one of the opposing men shoot him then obey that order. But then he saw Skylar standing a number of feet away from him, her face pale with fright, and the last thing he wanted was for her to witness a murder.   
He looked back at Raines and said to his defenders, “Do as he says, lads.” They were very hesitant to. But once Jamie let go of the other man, they slowly lowered their knives and guns, as did the others.   
“Just keep her in sight of me, man,” Jamie said to Raines, almost threateningly.  
To which he replied, “We’ll sail at our own pace, Mr. Fraser, and no faster than is safe.” Without breaking eye contact, he called out, “Mr. Warren, restrain Mr. Fraser and take him below.” Before anyone could blink, Baxley and another man took hold of Jamie and dragged him in the direction of the gallery while Warren followed them closely, keeping Jamie at gunpoint.   
“What the hell is happening?!” Skylar cried, charging towards Raines.  
Fergus explained for him. “Captain Leonard has basically taken Milady hostage and intends to keep her as their surgeon until they reach Jamaica.” Skylar looked to where the Porpoise had been anchored and saw it sailing off at high speed.  
“You knew about this?” she said to Raines, who didn’t even acknowledge her with a glance. “You knew about this, and you agreed? You just let them take her?! What is wrong with you?!”  
“I’ve told you before, Miss Kelley, and I will say it again. Hear me this time,” he said, gracing her with a condescending look. “There is a time and a place for you to speak your mind, and my ship is not one of them. Remember your place.”  
To keep her from striking Raines across the face, she curled in her fist so strong she could feel her nails digging into her palm. Her vision was starting to blur and her chest was tightening. Her head felt like it was full of air, and she knew she needed to get away from everyone. She turned on her heel and walked as fast as she could to her cabin.   
She threw open the door and held herself up against the wall as she started to hyperventilate. Her heart was racing too fast and she thought she was going to throw up. Her mind was being pulled in a million directions and she couldn’t focus one thought. Starting to shake, she slid down to the floor.   
Her best friend who was her whole world had been taken away from her by pirates, the woman who had become a good friend and who she cared very much about was being held against her will on a disease ridden ship, and now the man who may as well be her father was locked below; and there was nothing she could do for any of them, which only made her panic worse.  
 _I need to calm down. I need to breathe. I need to breathe before I pass out._  
“Skylar! Are you alright?!” she heard Fergus cry out. He and Marsali had followed her and seeing her on the floor not breathing right and shaking terrified them beyond words. They stood at the doorway, not knowing what to do.  
“Thr-three things I-I-I can…can feel,” she said to herself. “Floor…wood…dress.”  
“Skylar, what is happenin’?” Marsali asked full of worry.  
Not even hearing her, Skylar continued to try to calm herself. “I hear…waves…ship cre-creaking…foot-footsteps.” She felt her heart slow and she was able to start taking regular breaths. “I can see…the bed…luggage and…and scared faces.” She was calm enough now to be able to chuckle lightly at Marsali and Fergus. They were as pale as she probably was and they absolutely could not hide the fear they felt at what they just witnessed.  
“What in God’s name just happened?” Marsali questioned. “It was like ye were possessed.”  
Still catching her breath, Skylar told her, “I wasn’t possessed, Marsali. It’s called a panic attack. They just…happen, sometimes, when I get too overwhelmed and can’t control it.”  
Fergus was able to unfreeze himself from his spot and went to his sister. He carefully helped her off the floor and brought her to sitting on the room’s small bench.   
“Mon amour, can you get her some water please?” he requested.  
“Of course.” She left quickly.  
Fergus knelt in front of Skylar, waiting for her to speak first.  
“How is it that everyone I love is being taken from me? Ian, Claire, Jamie…and I’m…I’m completely helpless. I mean, there is literally nothing I can do to help them.”  
“Not on your own perhaps. And you are not on your own, and you never will be. No matter what ever happens, on this voyage and beyond, I am here with you. I am not going anywhere, ma soeur. I promise you that.”  
“Until you get married and have your own life.”  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. You will live with us, Skylar. You and Ian, and Milord and Milady.”  
Skylar let out a laugh. “Oh, I’m sure Marsali will absolutely love that.” They were suddenly jerked when the boat started moving. She let out a heavy sigh. “We need to just get to Jamaica already. I don’t know how many more of these eventful layovers I can take.”


	18. Give Him Yer Word

It had been 5 days since the Porpoise had taken Claire. Captain Raines refused to sail any faster than what felt like a slow crawl through molasses. Skylar was certain he was doing this out of spite. He didn’t like Jamie much from the beginning, and she thought he was using this as a way to punish him for pushing back so often and to demonstrate his dominance and control.  
The hope and optimism that she had been feeling was nearly gone. She tried to hold onto the last shreds of it as hard as she could, but it was getting increasingly difficult. Instead of only thinking about Ian’s safety and being anxious as hell to get him back, she was scared for Claire. She knew plenty well that Claire was a strong and tough woman who was able to defend herself. But she was the only woman on that ship. God forbid she was ganged up on. Even Claire would not be able to fight her way out of that.  
The dim silver lining that Skylar clung to was that the amount of injuries sending the men to the surgery had been cut in half or more. Hayes had told her that since she was now the acting surgeon, having any sort of experience whatsoever after having assisted Claire, all of the crew were being extra cautious to not get seriously hurt. He said that they all knew she must be feeling stressed and in over her head without Claire’s help, so they didn’t want to add to that. Though she believed it was less that and more they didn’t trust her nearly as much as they trusted Claire to heal them, she felt indebted to each and every one of them for it.  
To say she was stressed about running the surgery didn’t reach the half of it. She understood how it was set up and what specific tools and medicines were used for, but to actually use them herself was a whole different story. Though the amount of patients had been low, that didn’t mean there were none. She put up with the blood as best as she could, but when there were one or two wounds that were deep enough to need stitches, she called on Willoughby to take care of those while she would put all of her focus on to not passing out.  
And then on top of thinking constantly about Ian, Claire and the surgery, she was very worried about Jamie. He hadn’t been let out of the galley and she wasn’t able to see him. Fergus informed her of this after the first time he saw Jamie.  
“What do you mean I can’t see him?” she questioned.  
“His sea sickness is the worst it has been. He is very angry and is getting sick constantly. He is not in a good way. It isn’t something that a young lass should see,” he told her.  
“You really think I’m gonna get thrown off by puke? Back home, I took care of many a sick kid. I am no stranger to vomit.” She remembered the multiple sleepless nights with her small foster siblings when a stomach bug was spreading through them and her foster mom had been too busy with work to help out.   
“Sky, please. It’s Milord’s request that you stay away. He doesn’t want you to see him like this. He asked me to beg that you respect that.”  
She crossed her arms. “Fine. I will respect his unnecessary wish. But I don’t have to like it.”  
That had been three days ago. Fergus went to Jamie at least once a day to give him food and have him see a friendly face. Skylar would ask for details, but he kept saying nothing had changed. Jamie just sat in his cell, not moving and not wanting to eat. They barely spoke when Fergus was there.  
Done in the surgery for the day, Skylar was walking back to her cabin when she saw Fergus come up onto the deck.  
“Hey!” she called to him. He turned and she went to him.   
“How was it today?” She just shrugged. “All the men you’ve tended to are still alive, so I’d say you’re doing pretty well.”  
She chuckled. “Yeah, I’m a regular Clara Barton.”  
“Who is Clara Barton?”  
“Um…n-no one. Never mind.” She quickly switched subjects. “How’s Jamie?”  
“He’s, uh…he’s okay.”  
“Okay?”  
“I mean, um, nothing-nothing’s changed. He’s very worried for Milady and he keeps threatening that he would do anything in order to get her back.” He was acting really off. He was wringing his hands together and he kept looking around, like he was looking for someone or making sure people weren’t around.  
“What’s wrong?” she asked him.  
“What?”  
“You’re acting all fidgety and nervous. Something’s wrong. What is it?”  
He quickly glanced around again, then came in closer to her. “Milord wants me to help him take the ship.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“I mean, he’s asked me to break him out and then we will relieve Captain Raines of his position.”  
She processed that for a minute, then realized what he was talking about. “You and Jamie want to attempt a mutiny?” she whispered harshly. “That’s the most idiotic idea I have ever heard. I hate Raines just as much as you do, and I would love to see him gone. But his men will destroy you.”  
“It wouldn’t just be us. We would have Lesley and Hayes and Willoughby. And I am going to talk to the crew and get as many on our side as possible. It might work.”  
“Emphasis on ‘might.’ That is a suicide mission. You’re not actually going to go through with that, are you?” He didn’t answer her. “Omigod, you are.”  
“Milord told me that if I do this for him, he will give me his blessing to marry Marsali. Ma soeur, this is the only way we can be together. He will never approve of it otherwise. I love her so much that I am willing to do whatever I must in order to be with her. If you and Ian were not allowed to be together and then someone offered you a way, would you not take it?”  
“Ian wouldn’t want me to risk my life in some pointless and moronic fight I am sure to lose just to marry him. Just as I would never ask him to do that. If we were given an ultimatum like that, we would do whatever we could to figure out a way around it that isn’t dangerous and reckless. Why don’t you ask Marsali what she thinks about it? I am certain she’ll feel the same way.”  
“It doesn’t have to be doomed. It could work! And then with Raines taking Milord’s place in the cell, we can sail as fast as we can to Jamaica and we will get Milady and Ian back.”  
Skylar took a breath. Seeing that she wasn’t going to be able to talk him out of this, she just said, “Do what you want. I’m not in charge of you. But you told me, after I broke down in a panic because everyone I love was being taken from me, you promised that you weren’t going anywhere. You said I didn’t have to worry, that you would never leave me. And now you’re going to get yourself locked up with Jamie, or worse. And Marsali and I will be alone.” They stared at each other for a moment more, then she turned and left him standing on the deck.  
When she walked into her cabin, she saw Marsali collecting materials to clean Fergus’ stump, as she did a few times a week.   
“Your husband is being stupid,” Skylar told her.  
“What’s he done?”  
“Jamie has convinced him to help form a mutiny against Raines.”  
An expression of extreme disbelief crossed her face. “I beg yer pardon?”  
“Apparently, Jamie said that going along with this is the only way he’ll give you two his blessing. So, Fergus agreed.”  
Marsali sighed and shook her head as she gathered her supplies in her arms. “Well, I’ll try te talk some sense inte him.”  
“Good luck. He wouldn’t listen to me.”  
After Marsali had gone, Skylar collapsed onto her bed. She had never felt so physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. Without even bothering to change out of her dress, she pulled the blankets over her and was asleep within minutes. But she was woken up after what felt like no more than 30 seconds to Marsali running in. Skylar opened her eyes and saw her friend leaning her back against the door. Her cheeks were flushed and she was breathing heavily. Her face held a look of amusement.  
“You okay?” Skylar asked her.   
“I almost just slept with Fergus.”  
Skylar sat right up. “Um, explain please.”  
“Well, I was cleanin’ his hand – or actually, not his hand but where his hand should – never mind! Um, and while I was doin’ that, he was tellin’ me about what ye told me, the mutiny Jamie wants him te be a part of. And I told him how I felt about it, that I didna like it and he was riskin’ no bein’ wi’ me at all if it failed. But I could see there was no talkin’ him out of it, and I kissed him. And when I did, I dinna ken what, but somethin’ just came over me. I just felt like I needed him right then and there.”  
“So what happened? Why didn’t you?”  
“He told me we needed te wait until we were married. He had promised Jamie and he didna want te break that.”  
“I cannot believe that Fergus said no to laying with a girl, especially it being you.”  
“He’s just like Daddy. Once he gives someone his word, he’ll never go back on it. ‘Tis one of the best things about him, about both of them.”  
“Unfortunately, that plays against Jamie also. It’s why he’s trying to make this insane plan happen. He’s so desperate to get to Claire and have her with him safe again because he gave her his word a long time ago that he would protect her from anything at any cost. I know you hate her, Marsali, but you need to see that Jamie loves her so much. He didn’t mean to hurt your family, neither did Claire. He just loves her; as much as Fergus loves you, if not double.” She could tell Marsali’s brain was churning. Hopefully she was letting Skylar’s words sink in and actually mean something. “Do you think Fergus is gonna go through with it?”  
“I dinna ken. When he left he seemed verra sure about his decision. I hope he doesna though. I dinna want te be left alone surrounded by all these men wi’out protection. Ye see how they look at us. It makes me verra nervous.”  
“If, God forbid, something should happen that puts both Jamie and Fergus away from us, Hayes and Lesley won’t let anyone near us. You can trust them.”  
And Skylar believed that fully. She knew they were loyal to Jamie and cared for Skylar, and in turn Marsali, so they would do everything in their power to keep them safe. But Skylar couldn’t help but feel a bit apprehensive thinking about it. She did notice members of the crew giving her lewd looks and making comments as she passed. She didn’t want to think about what they would do if both Fergus and Jamie were gone.   
Skylar was on high alert all day the next day. Marsali stayed in the surgery with her, both them anxiously waiting to hear any sounds that Jamie’s plan was put in action. But nothing happened. It was just another day. The girls were relieved until they realized they were going to be stressed about this again tomorrow. They hadn’t seen Fergus all day so they hadn’t been able to ask him anything.   
That evening, there was a knock on their cabin door. Skylar opened it and there stood Fergus. He didn’t look well. He seemed uneasy and he looked paler than usual.  
“What’s wrong?” she asked, letting him in. He sat on the bench; Marsali stood next to him with her hands on his shoulders and Skylar stood in front of him. “Is Jamie okay? Did Raines find out what you were planning?”  
“I told Milord that I would not go along with the mutiny,” he told them.  
“Oh, thank God,” Skylar exhaled as a flood of relief rushed through her body.  
“What made ye change ye mind?” Marsali asked him. “Ye seemed so sure about it yesterday.”  
“I was. And earlier today, I meant to act on it. I went to Captain Raines’ quarters to steal the keys to let Milord out of his cell. But when I got there, I heard Raines talking to Warren, Baxley and Manzetti. And the things they were saying…not only about Milord but about…” He looked hard at Skylar and Marsali and they quickly understood. “I wanted to bust in the room and run each of them through. But I knew, hearing them, that no one would join our side and that we stood no chance. I will not leave you two alone.” He took Marsali’s hand and reached his out to Skylar, which she took. “You two are everything to me. And I would never do anything that would put either of you in harm’s way.” He looked directly at Skylar as he added, “I’m not going anywhere.”  
She squeezed his hand and sat next to him. “I assume telling Jamie didn’t go well.” She reasoned that that was why he looked very distraught and upset.   
“He was not happy to say the least. But I told him that I was not going to send him to his death or leave both of you without protection. The risk was far too great and it was not one I would take. And the look in Milord’s eyes when I told him that…I feel so awful for disappointing him.”  
“He’ll get over it,” Skylar told him. “You saved his life, Fergus. He’ll realize that soon enough. He’s just blinded by worry over Claire right now. He’s indebted to you, mon frere. He just doesn’t know it yet.”  
“I just hate that he’s trapped in there like a prisoner. He is not well and his stress is only making his seasickness worse. I feel so guilty. I gave him my word that I would get him out of there, and I broke it. That was the first time I’ve ever done that.”  
“Marsali was right. You really are just like him.” He looked at her and she smiled at him softly, cupping his face.  
Marsali stood up straighter and her face lit up with an idea. “That’s it. Jamie never goes back on his word. So, let’s have him do just that.”  
“What do you mean?” Skylar questioned.  
“We can convince Captain Raines that Jamie willna rebel and have him swear it. Once he does that, he’ll be let out.”  
“You really think Jamie will give in that easily? That doesn’t seem like him.”  
“If ye and I, Sky, help to encourage Jamie a bit on it, he’ll listen. If we can get him te see that it’ll help us te have him out, he’ll do it.”  
Agreeing that this was probably the only chance they had to free Jamie, Fergus and Skylar went with Marsali to Captain Raines’ quarters without wasting another minute.  
With the respect that they were forced to show him, they knocked on his door. He had barely finished saying “come in” before they showed themselves inside.   
“And what can I do for you three?” Raines asked, clearly not actually caring about why they were there. He barely glanced up from his maps when they walked in.   
“We need to talk to you about Jamie,” Skylar answered.  
“Let me guess, you want him released.” None of them said anything in response, but they didn’t lower their stares from him. “I apologize, but I am unable to allow that. That man is a danger to me and my crew, not to mention himself. Neither I, nor my men, trust him enough that if I were to let him out he would not attempt to take over the ship himself.”  
“I can promise ye that he willna rebel against ye,” Marsali told him.   
Raines looked up at her. “And how can you be so certain as to assure that?”  
“Jamie Fraser is a man of his word. If he swears te ye that he will no fight against ye, he willna go back on it.”  
The captain chuckled at her idea. “And you expect him to make such a promise? That seems very unlikely. He does not seem like the kind of person who respects an authority figure.”  
“If you let us talk to him, we’ll be able to convince him that this is the best thing for him to do. And if he sees that it’ll protect us from any of your men coming after us,” Skylar gestured to herself, Fergus and Marsali as she spoke, “he’ll do it. We promise. He will not fight you.”  
The older man opposite them moved his gaze from one to the other to the other, looking for any sign that they would give up this naïve notion. He saw nothing of the kind.  
Fergus glanced down at the map on his desk and said, “You need him.”  
“I beg your pardon, boy?”  
“Excuse my bluntness, Captain. But we do not just want him out of his cell for his company. You need him on deck, sir. We are close to land, aye? And we will need to dock there to restock, will we not?”  
“I’m listening,” Raines said, knowing where Fergus was going with this and he didn’t like it.   
“When we approach the shore, we’re going to deal with the shoals. And they are very difficult to pass through safely. You need everyone you can get to help with that, and Milord is one of the best men you could have with you for it. He is as experienced with sailing difficult waters as you are, and you know that. You need him, Captain.”  
Skylar saw Raines’ chest go out and in with a large breath, trying to find a way out of this.  
“Have him give ye his word, and he will be no trouble,” Marsali said. “He’ll help ye.”  
He stared at each of them a beat longer, then stood up, took the lantern from his desk, and went to the door. He opened it and stepped out. Turning back to the three, he ordered, “Follow me.” He led them down to the gallery where Jamie was being kept. Outside the room, he stopped and said, “You’ll get him to swear to me he won’t rise up against me.”  
“We will,” Skylar guaranteed. Raines gave a single nod, then continued forward. Fergus went to follow them, But Marsali stopped him.  
“I think it would be better if it was just me and Skylar who talk te him, love,” she told him. “He was upset wi’ ye earlier and if any of those feelin’s are still there, it will no help matters.”  
“Aye,” was all he said in response. Marsali squeezed his hand and Skylar touched his arm, and they followed Raines in.   
They saw Jamie, still in cell, with his back to them. They saw his head move when they walked inside, so he knew they were there.   
“I expect to be in sight of land by dawn,” Raines spoke to him.  
“What’s that te do with me?” Jamie muttered back.  
“Passage between the islands is hazardous all year through, but much more so in winter. I need all good and able men if I’m to navigate the shoals.”  
“So I’m good and able now, am I?”  
“Depends on how fast you recover from puking your brains out the last 6 days,” Skylar said. Hearing her voice, Jamie sat up straighter and he turned his head slowly around. He only made it halfway around before whipping the rest of the way at seeing both Skylar and Marsali. He got on his knees and hung onto the bars that trapped him.   
“What are they doin’ here?” he questioned.  
“They’ve persuaded me you’ll not rebel,” Raines told him.   
Without breaking her gaze from her ex-stepfather, Marsali said, “Aye. Ask him te give ye his word. Once he gives it, he’ll never break it.”  
“What are ye doin’, lassies?” Jamie said, with a warning tone to his voice.   
Marsali continued as she and Skylar walked over to him and got down to eye level with him. “Just give him yer word, and he’ll set ye free.”  
“Now is not the time for stubbornness and pride,” Skylar added. “If we want to get to Jamaica, we need you up there with all of us, not locked in this cell.”  
Jamie didn’t say anything, he just tightened his grip on the bars and looked down. He obviously did not want to show any sign of weakness to Captain Raines.   
“Ye canna see what he’s done fer ye, can ye?” Marsali said.   
He scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Raines?”  
“No, Fergus.”  
He didn’t understand what she meant. “What Fergus did, he did fer ye, fer the both’a ye.”  
“If ye believe that, ye dinna deserve te be let out of here.” She looked at him for another moment, then stood up and walked out.   
Jamie looked to Skylar about to say something in protest, but she interrupted him, “You’re not a fool, Jamie. You know what you need to do. Just do it. We’re not going to find Ian and Claire without you. We’re not asking you to grovel. Just lose your hardheadedness, put on a good face, and give him your damn word.” With that, she walked out as well.  
She, Fergus and Marsali stood outside the door in an anxious silence for a few minutes. When they heard footsteps, they looked and saw Raines come out, followed by Jamie. His discomfort in giving in was apparent in his body language; his shoulders were slumped and his eyes looked down as she forced his legs to walk behind Raines. But he also knew that the girls had been right. He needed to do this for Claire and Ian.  
“You may have a moment,” Raines told the three younger ones. “But as I said, I need all hands.” He went back on deck and left them alone.  
Jamie slowly approached them. Looking at Fergus and Marsali, he said, “Ye have me blessin’. Ye can be married in Jamaica. By a priest,” he added, sternly. He directed this to Fergus, “Ye’ll need te prove yerself te her, as much as te me. And then-”  
“First, let us get to Jamaica,” Fergus said, cutting him off. He was trying to stay serious, but his smile was breaking through.   
Jamie looked from him to Skylar. “Thank you,” was all she said, but with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and love. He gave her a slight smile and went to join the crew.   
When he was gone, Fergus and Marsali turned to each other, overjoyed and ecstatic. When they kissed, they seemed to forget Skylar was there as they started to deeply makeout.   
“Hey!” she shouted, which broke them apart. “You’re not married yet. Keep your tongues to yourselves.” 

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Being so close to land, no one slept that night. Though they were of no help, Skylar and Marsali stayed on deck with everyone. They just did their best to stay out of the way. Skylar took a seat at the highest level with Jamie near the steering wheel while Marsali was on the main level, leaning on the ship’s railing.  
As the sun started to rise, the day did not get much brighter. Clouds covered the sky and it had started to rain. Not heavy enough to be concerned about a storm, but it did affect their vision.   
“Keep your eyes sharp men! The less light we have, the harder it is to see where the coral might begin. We don’t want to run onto the shoals,” Raines called out.   
“Looks calm enough ahead, Captain!” Warren called back. “No signs of coral patches and the waves are still a safe size.”  
“We should slow her down a bit, bring her in easy,” Jamie decided. He was looking towards the land through his spyglass. “Hayes! Start sheeting out the main sail!”  
“Aye, Mac Dubh!” Hayes answered back from the mast, obviously more than happy to be receiving orders from Jamie again. He added some slack onto the rope that held the main sail and they started to slow. But that didn’t last long.   
They had made it forward barely another quarter mile when the winds picked up and pulled them forward.   
“Luff the main sail and loosen the others!” Jamie ordered Hayes.  
“Do not touch the sheets, Mr. Hayes!” Raines countered.  
“Captain, we’re being pulled in too fast! If we don’t loosen them we’ll only pick up speed!”  
“And if they are not in enough we will be blown off course! Keep them as they are, Mr. Hayes.”  
“Aye, Captain,” Hayes reluctantly followed.   
Skylar was feeling a little nervous. They were definitely going too fast. But Jamie and everyone else seemed relatively calm about it, so she tried not to worry.   
Until she heard Marsali say, “What are those dark patches?”  
Baxley used his spyglass to look and announced, “We’re headed for the shoals! Coral ahead!”  
“Turn starboard, Mr. Warren. Now!” Jamie shouted. Warren used all his strength to try to steer their ship, but it wouldn’t budge.  
“The current’s too strong! It won’t turn!” he said. The rain and wind had picked up and caused the waves to grow, only adding to the current.  
“Jamie, what’s happening?” Skylar cried.  
“Skylar, ye and Marsali need te get below deck now! It’s gettin’ too dangerous!” he told her.  
“I can help! Just tell me what-”  
“You agreed te follow me orders te the word when I said ye could come wi’ me! Honor that!”  
Realizing arguing anymore would be a waste of time, Skylar started down the stairs to the main level. As she was walking, the ship got jerked sharply and she was thrown violently, making her fall down the last few steps.  
“We’re gettin’ dragged inte a whirlpool!” she heard someone shout out. She looked back up and saw Jamie working with Warren to turn the ship against the whirlpool’s current.   
Trying to keep her balance, she continued towards the opening to the gallery. She had almost made it when there was a loud grinding sound. The impact of the crash onto what she heard was something called a sand wave pushed her down to the floor again. As she started to push herself back up, she heard yells and shouts accompanied by a cracking sound. Whatever broke off hit her hard on the head and everything went black.


	19. A Bit of Happiness

As Skylar came to, she felt a sharp throbbing pain in her head. She groaned and put her hand to her head as the pain worsened when she opened her eyes and was met by bright sunlight. She slowly sat up and took in her surroundings. She was under a makeshift tent on a beach. She saw the crew of the Artemis scattered around her, doing what looked like gathering parts of the ship.   
“Skylar!” she heard someone call out. She looked towards the voice and saw Fergus. He ran to her and knelt in front of her, hugging her. “Dieu merci. I was so worried, ma soeur.” He pulled from her and kept hold of her arms. “I knew you would wake up, but it was taking so long I was starting to get scared. Do you feel okay? Are you in any pain?”  
“My, uh, my head hurts,” she told him. “What happened? I remember it was raining and there was too much wind and there were coral patches, but everything else is really fuzzy.”  
“The wind pulled us in too fast and because Raines wouldn’t let us loosen the sails, we ended up hitting a sand wave which was what made the mast to start to break. A part of it fell and that was what hit you and caused you pass out. Jamie had me take you below deck and stay with you and Marsali. Raines finally allowed the sails to be slacked but it was too late. We crashed onto a very large shoal and the mast broke completely off. We were able to get the Artemis off the shoal and luckily there was not too much damage. We’re mending the mast now and that will be an easy fix.”  
“I hope Jamie beat the shit out of Raines for this. There’s no way he can stay the captain after his idiotic orders nearly killed us.” Fergus’ face got very serious and solemn. “There’s something else. What is it?”  
He took a moment then told her, “Raines is dead. As are Warren and Murphy.” Skylar felt all of the breath leave her body. She did not expect him to say that.  
“Th-they’re…dead?”  
Fergus nodded. “When we hit the shoal, the impact was so great that Murphy and Warren, who were positioned near the edge of the ship, got thrown overboard. And when the mast came down, it, uh…Raines was caught beneath it.” Skylar flinched, seeing it play out in her head. “We gave him a proper sea burial, worthy of a captain, though some feel he may not have deserved it.”  
“Am I an awful and terrible person for not feeling that sad over him?”   
“If you are, then so am I. As are most of the crew.”  
“You said it’s really just the mast that got damaged?”  
“Aye. The main sail got ripped as well, but not too terribly and it will not take long to patch.”  
“Okay then.” She took a breath and started to stand up, but Fergus stopped her.  
“What are you doing?”  
“I’m going to see what I can do to help.”  
“Absolutely not. Skylar, you were unconscious for a very long time. You are in no shape to be doing hard work and moving around that much.”  
“I’m fine, Fergus. My head doesn’t hurt too bad anymore.” She went to stand again, but he sat her back down.   
“Skylar, I swear to God, if you try to move again I will tie you down. Please, just stay here out of the sun and rest. We will be done before too long. Okay?”   
“But I-”  
“Okay?”  
Seeing that he was not giving up on this, she rolled her eyes and said, “Fine. I’ll just sit here and be totally useless.”  
“Thank you, ma soeur. Call me over if you need anything.” He then stood up and went back to the job he had been doing.   
Skylar brought her knees into her chest and watched as the men worked. Even in her manmade shade, she could feel the heat from the burning sun and she knew beads of sweat were forming on her forehead. She couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty that everyone, even Marsali she saw, was working hard and was probably exhausted and overheated while she just sat doing nothing. But her head was still throbbing hard and she was a little dizzy so she knew it was for the best.   
She put her head on her knees and closed her eyes, not just because of the pain but because of her spirit. All of the hope and optimism she had clung to about being successful in their mission was gone. Thinking about every delay and stop that they’ve had over the months of sailing, she knew there was no way the Bruja hadn’t already arrived in Jamaica and was probably long gone. She felt in her gut that they were too late and there was nothing they could do about it.  
 _At this rate, Ian is probably a slave at the least. And we’re never going to get him back,_ she thought, her heart breaking. She was nearly sick at that thought. She didn’t want to give up. She wanted to hold on to the faith and confidence that they were going to find him alive and safe and be able to bring him home. She wanted to continue to cherish the warm and tingly feeling she got when she fantasized about finally telling Ian what she felt for him and hearing him say it back. But the fear she had pushed away over the worst case scenarios was back full force and overpowering her.   
She looked up when a shadow fell over her. Jamie was standing above her holding the ripped sail Fergus told her about. He went on a knee in front of her, putting the sail on the ground next to him.   
“How are ye feelin’, lass? Still in pain?” She just shrugged. “We were worried about ye. I’m verra glad te see yer awake and okay. We’ll be done here soon and we’ll be able te keep goin’ on. We’re not too far from Jamaica now.” She just looked down, not wanting to share her feelings of discouragement. “Would ye be alright te help Marsali sew the sail? The rip isna verra large so it shouldna be too hard te mend.”  
“Yeah, that’s fine,” she told him.   
As if on cue, Marsali joined them, carrying the sewing materials she had retrieved from the salvaged supplies. She sat next to Skylar under the tent and Jamie left them with the sail.   
They started to work in silence, and Marsali could tell Skylar was feeling off.  
“Are ye okay?” she asked. “Is it yer head? Ye took a nasty hit.”  
“My head is pounding, but that is the absolute least of my problems right now.”  
“Do ye want te talk about anythin’?”  
“I’m basically out of hope. I just have this sinking feeling that we’re not going to find him. Or if we do, there will be nothing we can do to get him back.”  
“What brought that on? Ye were so sure it was all goin’ te be alright just yesterday.”  
“Just sitting here not able to do anything, all I can think about is how much time has been wasted. When we first started out, we were already so far behind the Bruja. And now, after those weeks without wind, the delay with The Porpoise, Raines having us go half our speed, and now this? I can practically guarantee the Bruja has come and gone from Jamaica, and for all we know, it left with Ian again.”  
“But ye dinna ken that fer sure. Ye canna let yer fears take over. Ye need te hold onte the faith that we will find him.”  
“I miss Claire,” Skylar stated. “She’s so calming to talk to. She’s so similar to my mom, it’s almost like I was talking to her.” She looked up and saw Marsali intensely focusing on the needlework. “I can practically feel you thinking. What’s going on in your head?”  
“I ken everyone thinks me Ma is mad. I’m the first te say that she can be a lot te deal with at times. But she’s all I had growin’ up. Me Da…I wouldn’t even actually call him that, he never acted like it. And he died when I was so young that I never really had one. And so, when Jamie married her, he was so kind and lovin’ te me and me sister and we were so happy te actually have a father. Ma had already lost two husbands, and then when Jamie left, that made the deepest cut out of the three. I love her dearly and I hate seein’ her hurt. I had thought that with him, we could finally be a family.”  
“You’re marrying his son, Marsali. He’s still going to be a part of your family and your dad. I understand that that’s not the same as him being married to your mom, but you do still get a father out of him. And now he’s able to be a part of your own family that you’re going to have with Fergus.”  
“Tell me the truth, Sky. Does it make me a horrible person fer not wantin’ te have children right away?”  
“Of course not. There’s no rule that says you need to get pregnant the moment you’re married. It makes you no less of a woman for wanting to wait either. You should be able to enjoy being married before you take on that responsibility.”  
“But are there even ways te be able te do that?”  
“You’re not gonna like this, but Claire would probably know something. With her being so smart about everything medical and medicinal, I’m sure she knows about ways you can avoid getting pregnant. I get that you don’t like her, but maybe this is the way to start giving her a chance. You know how important she is to Fergus, and I’m sure he wants you two to be able to get along.”  
She saw Marsali let out a breath, and her face looked like she could actually be considering it. “Well,” she said, “if I am te even entertain that idea, we’ll need te find her first, won’t we? And the sooner we finish wi’ the sail, the quicker we’ll be on our way te Jamaica again and find the Englishwoman and Ian.”  
The two girls were able to fix the sail in a little less than 30 minutes, and by that time, the crew had finished mending the mast. The men brought it next to the rowboat which they would use to bring it back to the ship. Skylar had started to bring the sail to the boat as well with Marsali, but Fergus stopped her and took over carrying it. She knew that arguing with him would be pointless, so she just let him do it and followed them.  
Jamie had Hayes and Lesley bring her and Marsali back to the Artemis, and then both men would come back to the beach to help load all of their supplies and materials into the boat to bring back as well. On the final trip, the mast was brought over along with the sail. The girls stayed out of the men’s way as best they could while they reattached the mast. With so many of them working on it, it did not take too long for the mast to be back up and the sail rehung.   
“How long until we can depart?” Jamie asked Baxley, who, after the two discussed it, would take over manning the helm while Jamie would oversee the men.   
“If we have her rigging in place, we’ll make sail tonight when it’s cooler, that the tar on the foremast might harden,” he answered.   
The men all voiced their agreement to that. None of them wanted to work on deck in this burning heat. Even Skylar who wasn’t doing strenuous labor was sweating bullets and wanted nothing more than to get out of the sun. She was about to excuse herself when she saw a strange light shining.   
“What’s that light?” she called out, thinking someone on the crew might know what was causing it.   
Skylar’s questioning it got Jamie to notice it as well. It seemed to be reflecting on him. He looked towards the island and must’ve seen something because he then said, “Baxley, hand me yer spyglass.” The young man handed it to him, and Jamie extended it out as far it would go. When he saw what was causing the light, he nearly dropped the spyglass. Skylar saw his face get very serious and she was confused about what it could possibly be. Her question was answered when Jamie yelled, “Claire!” and he sprang into immediate action.   
Skylar gasped and she ran to the edge of the boat, trying to see if she could see Claire herself. She could only see a dot on the shore with a light’s glare coming from it. She turned around to say something to Jamie, but in the three seconds she had her back to him, he, Fergus, Willoughby, Lesley and Hayes had got the rowboat back into the water and were headed towards Claire.   
She kept her eyes focused on the scene playing out in front of her. She saw as the boat made it to shore and the barely visible dot, that she knew was Jamie, jumped out and ran to and connected with the original dot which was Claire. She smiled as she watched, feeling happy that Claire was okay and that Jamie had her back.  
Her mind thought back on her feelings of utter dejection she had had less than an hour ago. She felt so certain that they were doomed to fail, that they had no chance of finding Ian and she was so sure that she was never going to see him again. But after seeing how elated Jamie was at being reunited with Claire, she didn’t want to give up anymore. She wanted to have her own chance at feeling intoxicated with euphoria at having the love of her life brought back to her. She wanted to see Ian in front of her and touch him and hold him as tight as she could. She wasn’t going to give that up. They must still have a chance. They were going to get to Jamaica and do whatever they needed to do to get him; even if that meant Skylar herself had to get her hands dirty.   
After about 45 minutes, the small group arrived back onto the deck of the Artemis. As soon as Claire had both feet on the floor, Skylar ran to her and hugged her.   
“Thank God you’re back! I’m not cut out to be a doctor!” she said, her voice muffled against Claire’s shirt. She felt the older woman’s chest vibrate with laughter as she hugged the teen girl back.   
“Should I take that as your resignation as my assistant?” she asked.  
Skylar pulled back from her and said, “I still want to be your assistant and help, but I never ever ever want to do it on my own ever again.”  
“What happened to your head?” Claire touched Skylar’s forehead gently and she flinched and closed her eyes in pain. “You have a giant red spot and a slight bump.”  
“We got into an accident on the shoals. Part of the mast broke off and hit me and knocked me out. I didn’t know it looked that bad.” She was surprised that no one told her what her injury looked like since she hadn’t been able to see it herself.   
“Are you in any pain?”  
“Some. It’s kinda like I have a really bad headache and it throbs a bit.”  
“I want to give you an examination. You might have a concussion.”  
“But before ye do that, Sassenach,” Jamie interrupted them, “I have a question I’d like te put before ye two.” He walked to Fergus and Marsali, who had rejoined at the hip once Fergus came back. “Would you like te marry tonight, or continue te wait until we reach Jamaica?”  
The couple looked to each other in shock then back at Jamie.   
“Are you being serious, Milord?” Fergus questioned.  
“Aye,” Jamie told him. “We’ve all had so much upset that I thought it might be nice te have a bit of happiness. Claire and I went te the priest that lives not far from here, and he has agreed to officiate. So, are ye ready?”  
The smiles that took up their entire faces was their answer.   
They all spent some time cleaning themselves up before they went back to the island. Claire also checked Skylar for a concussion and concluded that she did not have one, just a very nasty bump.   
While Claire used this time to also move all of her things into the captain’s quarters to room with Jamie, Skylar was helping Marsali look through all of the clothes she had brought for anything that would vaguely resemble a wedding dress. They ended up choosing an outfit that wasn’t white, but they were the lightest colored pieces of clothing that Marsali had. It was a yellow top that was decorated with small floral designs, a green corset underneath it that matched the flowers, and a lilac skirt.   
When they got back to the island and arrived at the priest’s house, who everyone was honestly a little afraid of, Marsali asked Skylar if she would help get her ready while Jamie went with Fergus.  
Skylar helped her into her outfit, then had Marsali sit so she could do her hair.  
As she started to braid it, Skylar said to her, “This probably isn’t the wedding you dreamed of when you were a little girl.”  
Marsali chuckled. “No, this is definitely a bit different than what I had in mind. However, I’m in as close te white as I can get, and I’m marryin’ the man I love more than anythin’. And that’s really the only thing that matters. So, this’ll do fine.” She then added softly, “I do wish me Ma was here though.”  
“Of course you do. That’s completely understandable. I wish my mom was going to be here for when I get married too. But you do have me and Jamie and, though you may not want her, Claire. She really does care about you.” Skylar tied a ribbon at the end of her braid and put her hands on Marsali’s shoulders, looking at her in the mirror in front of them. “You look absolutely beautiful, Marsali.” The bride smiled and put one of her hands on top of Skylar’s, letting out a nervous but excited breath. “Will you be okay on your own for a minute if I go see Fergus?”  
“Of course. Thank ye fer helpin’.” Skylar smiled at her in response then left to find her brother.  
She passed Claire in the hallway and asked if she knew what room he was in. She pointed to the room at the end of the hall and Skylar went towards it.   
She knocked on the door and opened it when she heard Jamie call, “Come in.”  
When she walked in, she saw Fergus dressed in a shirt, jacket and pants that were all brown and his hair was put in a ponytail. Jamie was helping to put a scarf on him.  
“You clean up very nice, mon frere,” she spoke. They looked over and Fergus smiled at her.   
“Aye, yer no longer the urchin pickpocket on the streets of Paris anymore. Ye’ve grown inte a fine young man, Fergus,” Jamie added. He grabbed Fergus’ arms affectionately and looked at him with such pride. He looked from Fergus to Skylar and said, “I’ll leave ye two.” He walked out, closing the door behind him.   
Skylar sighed and went closer to him saying, “I can’t believe my big brother is all grown up and getting himself married. Who’d of thought you’d settle down with one girl?”  
Fergus chuckled. “She is the one girl I wish I had known before all the others though. And do you approve of her?”  
“After sharing a cramped cabin with her for what feels like years, yeah, I’ve come to like her a bit.” Suddenly overcome with emotion at her brother getting married, she hugged him and she felt him wrap his arms around her. They stayed like that for a few moments then pulled apart, still holding hands. “I can’t think of anyone who deserves this happiness more than you do.”  
“You do as well, ma soeur. You and Ian both do. And you will have it very soon, I promise you that.”  
“Hey, there is no talking about me right now, okay? This time, right here, is all about you. Are you nervous?”  
“Not in the least. I’ve been ready to be her husband since I first saw her.”  
The surrogate siblings hugged one more time, and after they separated, Skylar told him, “Just please try to not knock her up right away. Enjoy just each other for a while.”  
He gave her a confused look. “What does that mean?”  
“Never mind.”  
At last, it was time. Everyone gathered outside. Lanterns had been lit and placed on surrounding trees to make a more romantic atmosphere. Baxley stood in as Fergus’ 18th Century version of a Best Man, and Skylar acted as Marsali’s Maid of Honor. Jamie and Claire, along with the rest of the crew, circled around them. Fergus and Marsali stood in front of Father Fogden.  
“I bid thee welcome,” Father Fogden started. “Dearly beloved, I bless you in the name of the Lord.” He then turned to Baxley and started to say, “Wilt thou have this woman-”  
“Uh, not me, sir,” Baxley stopped him. “Uh, him, please.” He pointed to Fergus.   
Fogden didn’t seem to understand. “Him? Are you sure? He’s missing a hand.”  
Skylar saw Fergus look down at his wooden hand and could tell he was feeling self-conscious. Fergus was one of the most confident people Skylar had ever met. But whenever his hand was brought up, and whenever people would make snide comments about how it made him less of a man, she knew it hurt him and made him start thinking it too. She nearly went off on Fogden, but she saw Marsali’s face turn red with anger at the comment and knew she would let him know what she thought.  
“Will the bride mind?” the priest asked Marsali.  
“I will not,” she snapped.  
Fogden seemed shocked that she was okay with it. “I don’t suppose it’s an impediment. Not as though he’s lost his cock. He hasn’t, has he?”  
“If ye’d hurry up and get on wi’ it, I could find out.”  
Skylar coughed to cover up a laugh and looked down, sticking her tongue in her cheek.  
“Marsali,” Fergus said to her, as though to scold her but was obviously very amused.  
“Ye know I’ve been wantin’ te bed ye fer months.”  
Skylar glanced at Claire and Jamie and saw they were trying to hide their own humor.   
“I’m sorry, Father. She speaks her mind,” Fergus apologized. “One of the many things I love about her.”  
Fogden then continued with the proceeding. He said to Marsali, “Your name in its entirety, my dear. I cannot marry you without it.”  
“Marsali Jane MacKimmie.”  
“Marsali,” he repeated. “Marsali. Marsali. Lovely.”  
“Fer the love of God, Father. Are we te stand here haverin’ about me name, or do ye intend te marry me?” Marsali said sternly.  
He finally went on with, “Will thou, Marsali Jane MacKimmie, have this man for thy wedded husband? To have and to hold, from this day forward, forsaking all others-”  
“I will,” Marsali stated, feeling like he was taking too long.  
Fogden then turned to Fergus. “And you have a name too? And a cock?” Fergus hesitated. “I cannot marry you without it, it’s not allowed.”  
“Yes. Fergus,” he answered.   
“In its entirety, if you please.”  
Oh no, Skylar thought as she saw Fergus’ face start to drop.  
“It’s just Fergus.”  
“Surely you have a surname, do you not? I cannot marry you properly without one.”  
Skylar could see Fergus and Marsali’s brains start spinning trying to think of a solution, as was her own.   
_Fogden wouldn’t refuse to marry them if Fergus didn’t have a last name, would he?_   
Their panicked thoughts were stopped when Jamie spoke up with, “Fraser.” Everyone’s heads turned to him. His eyes were locked on Fergus and he was smiling. “His name is Fergus Claudel Fraser.”   
Skylar could’ve started ugly crying right then and there from those words. She had known since she first met them that Jamie thought of Fergus as his own son. But for him to give Fergus his last name made it practically legal and official. She couldn’t see Fergus’ face, but she knew as he looked at Jamie, he was thinking the same thing and was probably trying not to cry as well from the feeling of actually having a real family.   
“Well, Fergus Claudel Fraser,” he told Fogden.   
“Wondeful,” Fogden replied. Skylar blinked away the couple tears that had formed in her eyes and paid attention to the rest of the ceremony. “Wilt thou, Fergus Claudel Fraser, have this woman for they wedded wife?”  
“I will.” When Fergus went to Baxley for the ring, Marsali turned to Skylar and handed her her bouquet made from some wildflowers Skylar had picked for her around the house. The girls quickly smiled at each other, then Fergus and Marsali faced each other. He slipped the simple gold band on her finger, and they looked at each other with faces glowing so bright that they could’ve lit this space without the lanterns.   
“And now, I unite you in wedlock in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” Fogden finished. After he said, “Amen,” the newly married couple shared their first kiss as husband and wife.   
As Skylar clapped and cheered for them as they kissed, she suddenly saw herself and Ian up there instead. She saw the wedding play out again in her head, but this time it was for her and Ian. She sniffed and swallowed hard, forcing away tears at the thought of the future she so desperately wanted. She was not going to cry at this incredibly special moment. She put her smile back on and went to the new Mr. and Mrs. Fraser.  
They had gone over to talk to Jamie and Claire. Skylar tapped Fergus on his back and he turned around. He smiled wide at seeing her. She hugged him tight and she nearly couldn’t breathe in his embrace.   
“Congratulations,” she told him. When they let go, she turned to Marsali and hugged her too. “Welcome to the family, ma soeur.” When the newleweds went to talk to the other crew members, Skylar said to Jamie, “So, since you now have the captain’s quarters, which I assume Claire will be staying in as well, and Marsali can now take up with Fergus, does this mean I get my own room?”  
Jamie grinned. “Aye, it appears it does. Enjoy it fer now. Once Ian is aboard, he will be with me and Claire will return te yer cabin wi’ ye.”  
“Seriously?” Jamie just gave her a look back that said he was completely serious.  
 _I should’ve known that would happen._  
Back on the ship that night, it was a weird feeling for Skylar to be sleeping alone. She hadn’t done it in a very long time; since Ian had first been brought back to Lallybroch. She had gotten so used to lying next to Claire with Marsali above them, and now it was almost funny to think about how Marsali was now sharing a cabin with her husband and Claire and Jamie could finally have actual time alone.   
It was weird, but she wasn’t complaining. She had spent those two years with her foster family sleeping in a room with multiple other kids. So she definitely treasured the solitude that she had for now. Though she would miss having the cabin to herself, she kind of looked forward to when Claire would be rooming with her again because that would mean Ian was back and safe.   
She laid in her bed, which at last got to be the upper bunk, and stared at the ceiling. Jamie had told her that they were now only a matter of days from Jamaica, God willing they didn’t run into any more obstacles. They were only a matter of days from finding Ian and Skylar vowed that they would not be leaving without him, no matter what it took.   
She fell asleep and dreamt of the wedding for themselves she had imagined earlier that night.


	20. Done Doing Nothing

At long last, after endless months of sailing, the Artemis docked in Jamaica. Skylar stood at the side of the ship as she waited for the gangplank to be lowered. She knew he wasn’t here in the harbor, but still, she slowly scanned each face for as far as she could see to see if maybe Ian was among the crowd.   
“Not quite the Jamaica you’re familiar with, I imagine,” Claire spoke as she came up next to her.   
Chuckling, but not moving her eyes, she said, “Yeah, there are no resorts or tacky gift shops anywhere.”  
“No vacationers with little umbrellas in their cocktails.”   
The port they had arrived in was not the dream tourist destination Skylar had seen in pictures or on TV. It was packed with people and vendors lined the road selling different foods or handmade goods. It was not bright and fun and colorful as it was depicted in the 21st Century. The village immediately behind the port looked poor and dirty. The colors that made up the houses and vendor tents were bland, not what you would expect to see in what was called the “Jewel of the Caribbean.” But the lackluster of the country didn’t even resonate with Skylar. Now that they were finally here, finding Ian was the only thing that she could think about and nothing would distract her from that.  
“He’s here,” Claire told her, sensing her heightened anxiety. She put her hand on top of Skylar’s, which she hadn’t even realized she had started tapping rapidly on the railing. “We’re going to find out where exactly and we’re going to find him and bring him home. He’s going to be alright, Skylar. We almost have him.” Skylar just nodded in response, still not looking away from the busy scene in front of her. She took in a shaky breath and let it out sharply.   
When they got the all clear for them to leave the ship, Skylar was the first one on solid ground. She very nearly took off into the village to immediately start looking for any sort of signs that would lead them to Ian, but Fergus caught up with her quickly.  
“Hey, hey, hey,” he said, putting his hand on her shoulder to stop her. “You cannot go off on your own. We need to wait for Milord. He will have a plan for what we should do.”  
“I’m not gonna go far. I just want to-”  
“Skylar, you are not going anywhere by yourself. Wait for Milord to give us instructions. I know how badly you want to start looking, but we need to have a plan. This is a whole new world for us.”  
 _I’ve been basically on a different planet for a year now. I’m sure I can handle this one too,_ she thought, growing frustrated.   
But she also knew Fergus was right. They didn’t know this country at all or anyone in it. They couldn’t tear into this blind. They needed a game plan. So, Skylar let Fergus lead her back to the group. They rejoined with Marsali, and Fergus bought himself and his new wife a piece of an exotic looking fruit neither had ever seen before; which Skylar recognized right away as pineapple. Fergus bought one for her as well and handed it to her.  
“No, thanks,” she said, simply.   
“You barely ate yesterday and nothing today. I’m sorry but I will not be taking no for an answer,” he told her, continuing to hold the fruit out.   
She held back a groan and reluctantly took it. In the last few days, with the closer they came to Jamaica, Skylar’s feelings of disquiet and restlessness had risen to the worst they had been throughout the journey. Her mind wouldn’t shut off, which made her unable to sleep. She would just stare out her window until she saw the sun start to rise. She would go 2 days with no sleep, and then her body would basically shut down and collapse from exhaustion. She would sleep for a full day, and then that cycle would repeat. That went on the last 10 days of their trek. She also ate next to nothing during those 10 days. She did try to. She would try to choke down a bannock or a piece of fruit or the smallest cut of meat, but her anxiety had gotten to such a horrible point that no matter what the food was, it would always come right back up. So she gave up trying. Everyone around her was extremely concerned about her. They all prayed that they would find Ian quickly. Of course because they wanted him back and have him safe with them, but also so that Skylar could start to recover.   
She just stared at the piece of pineapple in her hand. She didn’t want to eat it. Not just because she knew she would throw it up, but because she felt dreadfully guilty over it.  
 _Why should I be able to eat this fruit that I know is sweet and delicious when Ian’s captors are probably starving him or giving him scraps?_  
She got out of having to think about it more when Jamie and Claire approached the three.  
“Fergus,” they heard him call. “Once the casks are stowed, have Baxley take the ship out of the harbor te that wee cove we saw on the way in. Canna risk bein’ moored here if the Porpoise decides te show herself.”  
“Aye, Milord,” Fergus agreed.  
“Maybe the Porpoise has already come and gone,” Marsali suggested.  
“No. No, Leonard wouldna have time te refit, find crew and provision his ship before departin’,” Jamie told her.  
Claire had filled them all in on what had happened on the Porpoise. One of Captain Leonard’s crew, who ended up being the one eyed man who attacked Ian at the printshop in Edinburgh, had recognized Jamie and told Captain Leonard about the seditious papers that he had been making and distributing. Leonard was determined to find Jamie and arrest him for treason. “We may still have a chance te find Young Ian and slip away before he arrives,” Jamie went on. “Skylar, ye’ll stay on the ship wi’ Fergus and Marsali until we send fer ye all. Claire and I will start tryin’ te find out anythin’ we can as to Ian’s whereabouts.”  
“I will not,” Skylar fought. “I’m going with you. I’m done with doing nothing. I need to be involved with this.”  
Jamie was about to argue back, but Claire said to him, “It might be easier to get some information with three of us instead of just two.” Skylar kept her stare on Jamie as he looked to his wife. Claire knew it would do no good for Skylar to be kept on the ship, letting her mind get the best of her, and her face told Jamie that. He didn’t like it, but he agreed.  
Fergus and Marsali went back onto the Artemis as Jamie, Claire and Skylar started into the village.   
“Perhaps we should split up,” Claire suggested. “ Skylar and I’ll take some of the crew and search the town, and you can ask about the Bruja.”  
“I will not part, Sassenach. I’m not losing ye again. We’ll search the town together.”  
“Beggin’ yer pardon, but have ye recently disembarked the Artemis?” a man asked, stopping in front of them.   
“And ye are?” Jamie asked suspiciously, not knowing if he had some involvement with Captain Leonard.  
“My apologies. I’m Kenneth MacIver. The Artemis is my employer’s vessel,” the man explained. Skylar saw both Jamie and Claire physically relax.   
Now smiling, Jamie introduced himself. “James Fraser, your employer’s cousin, supercargo of the Artemis. My wife, Claire Fraser. And this is Skylar Kelley.” Kenneth nodded to both women in acknowledgement. “We brought ye French wine and brandy.”  
“Jared’s cousin? Why, I wasn’t expectin’ te receive goods til summer. Though it is fortuitous timing, I must say. I’m expected te bring four casks of wine te the new governor’s residence.” Skylar crossed her arms and pressed her lips together, getting impatient and increasingly antsy to continue on. “He’s havin’ a grand ball tenight. Ye’d be welcome to join us. Me wife would be delighted te host Jared’s kinsman.” Skylar held in a loud HA!  
 _As if we’d waste time going to some party right now,_ she thought.  
“Thank you for the invitation,” Claire replied. “But I’m afraid we have a more pressing matter at hand.”  
“I see. May I be of service in that matter?”  
“Aye, maybe. Show us where we might find lodgin’ and I’ll apprise ye of our search along the way,” Jamie said. Kenneth gestured for them to follow him.   
As they walked, Jamie told Kenneth the whole story of how Ian had been kidnapped from Scotland by pirates and how they believed they were going to Jamaica. But Skylar barely heard him. She was too busy looking all around her, trying to see if there was any sign of Ian, any clue to where he was.   
Her mind was beginning to play tricks on her. She was starting to see him everywhere. At first glance, every tall thin man with light hair she saw made her heart stop because she thought it was him. Then a millisecond later, she would realize it wasn’t and her heart would break all over again.   
Not wanting to cause herself anymore pain for now, she stopped looking and tuned back into the conversation.   
“A frightening tale, te be sure,” Kenneth commented after Jamie had finished explaining everything. “I do hope ye find yer nephew.”  
“The ship that took him was the Bruja,” Jamie added.  
“Do you know if she’s been moored here?” Claire asked.  
“I do. I took a hogshead of vinho do porto from her a week ago. She departed the next day,” Kenneth told them.  
“I knew it,” Skylar muttered under her breath. As silently as she could, she tried to keep her breathing under control.  
 _In through the nose, out through the mouth. Do not panic._  
“She’s gone? Where?” Jamie questioned.  
“Likely Portugal. Perhaps Africa.”  
 _Nose, mouth. Nose, mouth. Keep breathing._  
Skylar felt bile start to rise in her throat, but she pushed it down. She felt Claire put her arm around her shoulders, having noticed how stressed she was getting. Skylar didn’t look at her, but held onto to one of Claire’s hands with both of her own.   
“Did she sell any slaves?” Claire asked, keeping her arm around the younger girl. “We were told that if Young Ian survived, that they’d attempt to sell him at the slave market here.”  
“I do not know, Madam. I’m sorry. Ye’ll be wantin’ te make inquiries at the slave market te be certain.”  
“Aye, we will.” It was easy to see in Jamie’s face how disappointed he was at the lack of information they had received. And that the only thing they now knew for certain was that the Bruja had already left, possibly with Ian still on board.  
Kenneth stopped, causing the others to do so as well. “Ye’ll find fair lodgin’s here,” he said, motioning to the building they were in front of. A sign on it read Black Cat Inn. “I’ll send some of me men te fetch yer belongin’s from the Artemis.”  
“Thank ye, sir,” Jamie said. Kenneth nodded once more, then took his leave. “Wait here,” Jamie told Claire and Skylar. “I’ll go inside and see about some rooms.” He looked at Skylar, who was still holding tight onto Claire’s hand. Her face was very tense, looking straight ahead at nothing.   
“We’ll be alright. Go ahead,” Claire said, letting him know that she had Skylar and would make sure she was okay. Jamie took a breath and went inside. “Do you want to sit down?” she asked Skylar. She shook her head vigorously in response.  
“Africa? Portugal?” she repeated what Kenneth told them. “I knew it. I fucking knew that we had missed the Bruja. We took too long and now it’s gone again, and they could still have Ian. And what now? We’re gonna sail around the whole damn world? But I mean, if that’s what it takes, fine. I’m not gonna just…I can’t-I can’t…I-I need…” She could feel the sobs trying to burst from her body, but she couldn’t let herself breakdown in the middle of this big a crowd. Claire could feel her fighting it too, and pulled Skylar tight against her with her face into her chest, allowing her to cry and keep it muffled. She stroked the back of the young girl’s head, feeling her shake fiercely as she sobbed.   
Claire’s heart broke for her. She knew too well what it was like to be ripped apart from the person you loved the most; not knowing where they were or if they were alive, and feeling like you wouldn’t survive without them. She had felt that way for 20 years, and, other than when Brianna was born, the day she reunited with Jamie was the first time in those 20 years she had felt truly happy. Though Skylar had never told her out loud in words how she felt for Ian, Claire knew without any single doubt that the love she felt for Jamie’s nephew went far beyond friendship. And it had been exceptionally clear in the short time she saw the two together that Ian returned those feelings. She wanted so desperately for Skylar to have the happiness she deserved, and had more than earned after the months of unrelenting anguish she had just been through.   
She felt Skylar start to calm down, and once she stopped shaking, Claire gently pulled from her and looked at her, getting down to her level to face her. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot, and her face was bright red.  
“He’s here,” Claire stated. “We are going to find him here in Jamaica. I am promising you that. We did not come all this way for him to not be here.”  
Skylar nodded. “I know,” she said in a whisper, not able to talk at her normal volume yet. She wiped away the tears that were still falling and cleared her throat. She spoke a little louder, “I know he’s here. I don’t really know how, I…I just do.”   
Claire smiled sweetly at her and kissed her head, feeling how warm she had got from crying so hysterically.  
Jamie reappeared, following a middle aged Jamaican woman who said she would lead them to where they would stay.   
She led them to an area where long rows of huts stood, one next to the other. The woman stopped in front of one of them, telling them that this one was theirs. Jamie thanked her, and she curtsied and walked away. Jamie opened the door and stepped inside, Claire and Skylar right behind him.  
When they walked in, the first thing Skylar noticed was that it was very plain. There was not much decoration. The walls were a dark green on which hung only a couple of pictures. The bed had four posts with a simple blanket covering it. There was a desk on the opposite side of the room and some chairs were scattered around. She didn’t care though. She was hoping she wouldn’t be spending much time in here anyway. She wanted to be able to look for Ian until it was past dark, maybe even until the sun rose in the morning. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to sleep anyway, so why waste time not searching as much as she could.  
“We should stop at the ship before we go inte the slave market. Tell Fergus where we’re stayin’,” Jamie said, directing it to Claire. “We can bring Lesley and Hayes with us.” He then turned to Skylar, “Stay here and wait fer Fergus.”  
Skylar’s eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me? Stay here? Did you really just tell me to stay here? Did you not hear me earlier when I said I wasn’t going to do nothing anymore? Absolutely not!”  
“The slave market is a place filled with brutality, cruelty and pain. It is no somethin’ a young lass should see or be around.”  
“I’m not some fragile little flower that’s going to break when I realize the world isn’t all just sunshine and rainbows. I learned that a long time ago. Did you forget I’m from the 21st Century? I’ve witnessed horrors in my own time and world that you couldn’t even imagine! I can handle this.”  
“Skylar,” Claire started, taking a couple steps towards her, “I’m sorry, but I agree with Jamie on this. I know that you learned about slavery and slave markets in school, but to study something and to live are two very different things. I don’t want to go to it because I know already how much it’s going to hurt me to see it. I don’t want to subject you to that as well. Please, wait here.”  
“You can’t just shield me from everything bad about this time. I’m a part of it now too,” Skylar argued.  
“I know that. But I’m going to try my damndest to keep you from it as long as I can.”  
Skylar grit her teeth and looked away from them. She let out a sigh of exasperation and turned back to Jamie. “Fine,” she said in a harsh tone. “But please, let this be the last time I have to sit out.”  
“We’ll be back wi’ anythin’ we can find.” As he started out, he stopped next to her and added, “Dinna leave this room on yer own. Wait fer Fergus.” He could read Skylar’s mind and had known that she had planned to go look by herself when they left. She just crossed her arms and let out a sharp exhale through her nose in response. Taking that as a “I’ll do it but I don’t want to,” he walked outside. Claire touched Skylar’s arm tenderly as she followed him.   
“Fuck!” Skylar yelled when she knew they were gone. She ran a hand through her hair. She needed to calm down. Being angry and annoyed at Jamie wasn’t going to do anything to help Ian. She decided to lay on the bed. It wasn’t the softest mattress she’d ever been on, but it sure as hell was more comfortable than the paper thin pallets laid on top of the wooden beds on the Artemis. She stared at the ceiling, her mind blank except for thoughts of Ian.  
 _We’re here, Youngin’. We’re going to find you. Just hold on a little bit longer._


	21. Still Can Only Wait

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: ATTEMPTED SEXUAL ASSAULT

Fergus and Marsali, who were staying a couple lodges down from Jamie, Claire and Skylar, arrived about a half hour after Jamie and Claire left. They walked in and saw Skylar laying on the bed. They tried to talk to her, but she was giving barely one word answers, so they stopped talking and just sat in the room with her to keep her company.   
Skylar shot up when she heard the door open again, assuming it was Jamie and Claire coming back. Instead, it was Lesley and Hayes with Claire. Claire looked horribly distressed and upset as the men sat her on the bed. She explained what had happened at the slave market; the people that were referred to as savages and kept in cages, and the man she saw being auctioned off as if he was cattle. She had attacked the auctioneers and caused a fight to break out. Jamie had sent her back with Hayes and Lesley while he took care of the situation.   
Seeing how awfully Claire had been affected by the slave market, Skylar felt a little relieved that she ended up not going.   
Jamie returned a short time later, and Claire unhesitatingly asked what had happened. Feeling uncomfortable, he asked Fergus, Marsali, Lesley and Hayes to leave them. He let Skylar stay since he knew it would just cause another argument if he didn’t.   
When it was just the three of them, he took a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Claire. Kneeling on the bed behind her, Skylar looked over her shoulder as she opened it. It read “Received of Claire Fraser, the sum of 20 pounds sterling, being in full for the purchase of a Negro slave named Temeraire.” Jamie had bought the slave that Claire caused the near riot over.   
“We have to free him,” Claire stated, making it clear there was no way around that.  
“Aye, we do,” Jamie agreed. “But we canna release him in Kingston. He’ll just be captured again. At least with us, he’d be cared fer.”  
“What if I tear this up? Then he’d just be a companion,” Claire asked. The idea of owning another human for any amount of time made her feel vile.   
“Well, then ye’ll have no proof he’s yers.” Jamie sat down next to Claire and went on, “He’d have no proof. By law, someone else could claim him.”  
“That’s so disgusting,” Skylar commented. “I just don’t understand how anyone can think owning another human being like a piece of property is at all okay. He’s a person!”  
“This is a nightmare,” Claire said, handing the Bill of Sale back to Jamie.   
“We’ll think of something. I promise,” he said to both women, sincerely meaning it. He hated the thought of being a slave owner as well and wanted to be able to help Temeraire. “We’ll keep him safe. Take him with us and set him free when it means he truly can be. In the meantime, I’ve accepted MacIver’s invitation te the governor’s reception tenight.”   
“What? Why?” Skylar exclaimed. “We don’t have time to go to a party right now.”  
“The slaves from the Bruja were purchased by the governor’s household. They may ken what’s become of Young Ian. I wasna sure they’d trust me, but they may trust him.” He stood up and set the Bill of Sale on the bed, pointing to Temeraire’s name. Skylar sat back on her heels. It sounded like a good plan. She just wished there was a way they could do that without going to the party. It seemed too much like a fun event on a vacation than a way to find Ian.  
Later that night, after she and Jamie were dressed, Claire helped Skylar finish getting ready to go to the ball. She had given the girl one of her dresses from Paris to wear. It was made out of a royal purple colored satin and had sleeves that went to just below her elbow and flared out at the end. It had a semi-deep triangle cut in the front but had a ruffled chiffon of the same color placed behind it to keep her covered. It was a corset back and the length just brushed the floor.  
Skylar stared at herself in the mirror as Claire finished the laces. It was a beautiful dress and she felt comfortable in it. But she felt wrong wearing it right now.   
“This dress looks absolutely stunning on you. So much more than it ever did on me,” Claire said, putting her hands on the girl’s shoulders.  
Talking to Claire through their reflections in the mirror, she responded saying, “I hate this. Not the dress. The dress is gorgeous. I meant I hate that I have to wear it. I know that we’re only going to this thing because it’s going to help us find Ian, but it just doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t feel right to be getting dressed up and going to a fancy party when he’s here. He’s right here, somewhere, going through God only knows what.”  
“Believe me, I understand what you’re feeling. It’s almost like you’re betraying him by doing something that might be enjoyable while he could be in trouble?” Skylar looked down. That was exactly how she felt. “But you’re right. This party and the people there are what’s going to help us get closer to knowing where Ian is. Hopefully the governor will know something and Temeraire will be able to find out anything he can.” Jamie and Claire had talked to Temeraire earlier that day. They told him they had no intention of owning him and wanted to free him as soon as they were in a place safe to do so. They only asked of him that he go with them to the ball that night and talk to the other slaves to see if they had heard anything regarding Ian’s whereabouts. “And as soon as we have what we need, we’re leaving the party and doing whatever we need to do to find him.” Skylar closed her eyes and took a breath, then looked back at Claire in the mirror. “Can I help you do your hair?” Skylar nodded. She plaited Skylar’s hair in a wide French braid that went to the side and draped over her shoulder, leaving small curls hanging free around her face. She also added a much smaller and thinner braid going across the top of her head. When she was done, Skylar turned from the mirror to face her.  
“Oh, Skylar,” she said, looking at her. “You look…what was that word that you told me? The one you and kids your age in your time use to say that someone looks really good or beautiful.”  
Skylar thought for a second, then laughed when she remembered.   
“Um, a-a snack?”  
“Right, that was it. I still do not understand that one, but if that’s how your generation says you look gorgeous, then you are a snack, Skylar.”  
The teen bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud at hearing Claire use that word. It was so awkward but very endearing for Claire to try to use her Gen Z words.  
“Thank you, Claire. God, hearing you saying ‘snack’ just reminds me of my mom. She was obsessed with using my generation’s slang. She especially loved calling things a bop, or saying something slaps.” She chuckled, remembering. “She could never quite figure out how to use them exactly right. Like, if I was wearing a nice outfit, she would say my outfit is a bop. Or she would forget that slaps is a good thing and would say things like, ‘this traffic is so heavy. It really slaps.’ But sometimes I thought she was using them wrong just to make me laugh.” She then got quiet for a moment. “I-I’m sorry for just rambling like that,” she added faintly.   
“Don’t apologize. I’ve rarely heard you talk about your mum. Do you miss her?”  
Skylar nodded. “Horribly and every day. Even more so now than during those two years after she died in 2017.”  
“From losing your mother and having to live in that foster home, then time travelling and everything that’s come with it, you’ve been through the unthinkable for just being 16. You’re so incredibly strong and resilient, Skylar. I hope you can see that.”  
“I’m 17, actually.”  
“Oh. Jamie had told me that you said you-”   
“My birthday was on December 9th. I’m 17 now.”  
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?”  
She shrugged. “It was around the time everything started. It didn’t seem like the right time to celebrate it and I didn’t want the attention.”  
“Well, for your 18th, we will make sure it is extra special and worthy of two birthdays.”  
When they were ready, Skylar and Claire went outside to meet Jamie. He had gone back to the ship to get Willoughby and he rented carriages. The carriages were already parked in front of their lodge. Skylar rode in one with Jamie and Claire while Fergus and Marsali, who were attending the reception as well, went with Willoughby in the other.   
The drive to the governor’s mansion took around 20 minutes. If Jamie or Claire had been trying to talk to Skylar during the ride, she didn’t hear them. She just stared out the window the entire time, not saying anything.   
She was so zoned out that she didn’t even realize they had arrived until Jamie said, “Skylar?” She turned her head to him and saw he was standing outside the door, holding his hand out to her to help her out. She took his hand and he led her down the steps to the ground. “Show my, uh, manservant te the slaves’ quarters where he may be of service,” he requested of one of the slaves who had been assigned to help with arriving guests.   
“Yes, sir,” the man answered, nodding deeply.   
“Find us when ye have news,” Jamie said to Temeraire as he started to follow the slave.  
“Please, the moment you do,” Skylar added.  
“I will,” he said, looking to both of them, then continuing on.  
Skylar heard footsteps coming towards them. She looked and saw Fergus, Marsali and Willoughby join them.  
“So, do I look like a Scottish provocateur?” Jamie asked them. He was wearing an elegant navy blue jacket and a vest underneath it that was beautifully embroidered with gold and blue thread, and gold buttons running down it. His pants matched his jacket, and he wore a wig which reminded Skylar of pictures of the Founding Fathers.   
“No, ye look like a Dandy,” Marsali told him.  
“Is that a good thing?” Skylar questioned.  
“She means I look like a man of importance and high society,” he explained. “Hopefully that means I’ll blend in fine here.”  
“Ah. Well, I think the wig definitely adds to that,” Skylar teased. She gave him a small grin and he smiled back, willing to take any mockery of his wig, which he thought looked ridiculous as well, if it helped to ease her mind.  
“I think he looks more like a Frenchman,” Fergus said.  
“The same thing,” Willoughby jokingly commented.  
Fergus chuckled at that then went on, “No one will be looking at you anyway, Milord, not once they’ve had an eyeful of Mr. Willoughby.”  
“Well, that’s why he’s here. A distraction,” Jamie responded. He took Claire’s hand and started to lead their group inside the estate.   
“You look breathtaking, ma soeur,” Fergus said to Skylar as they followed.   
“You don’t look too bad yourself, mon frère. You might actually pass for a gentleman.”  
Fergus had borrowed one of Jamie’s outfits from their time in Paris, a dark green velvet jacket with silver buttons and matching pants and shirt. A white handkerchief was tied neatly around his neck and his hair was put into a ponytail.   
“Do you not think, though, that your neckline may be a little too low?” he stated more so than actually asking her opinion.   
Skylar laughed and shook her head. “Um, Marsali’s is much more low cut than mine is.”  
Claire had given Marsali one of her dresses to wear that night as well. It was a brown satin with large teal and gold stones and leaves around the neckline which turned into matching colored ribbon down the front. The sleeves were wide at the ends like Skylar’s, but hers were trimmed with lace. And Skylar was right. You could see more of Marsali’s chest than of hers. Fergus was just playing his role of protective big brother, and if she had any amount of cleavage showing, it was too much.   
“I think she looks lovely,” Marsali defended. “Ye should ask Claire if ye can hold onte that dress. I’m sure Ian would love te see ye in it.” She gave her a playful look and Skylar just blushed.  
They walked inside into a large entryway where, when you looked up, the ceiling looked like it was a mile above you. There were giant white pillars on either side standing in front of deep red walls, and there were so many plants that Skylar nearly felt they were still outside. They had to stand in line to greet the new governor before they could enter the actual ball. So as they stood, Skylar continued to look around at the details of the room. There was a candelabra nearly every foot on the walls which brought the image of Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast to her head. There were slaves lined up against the walls every few feet, each one wearing the same kind of wig nearly every man attending had on as well and were in a cheaper looking version of the fancy clothes everyone else wore. They were all standing completely still, not showing any emotion on their faces or making any sort of eye contact with the guests. It made Skylar’s blood boil. She never had and never would understand how the color of someone’s skin made a person lesser than to others.   
Jamie seemed to be thinking the same thing. “When does it end?” he asked Claire. “The slave trade?”  
“Not for another 70 years in the British Empire and 100 in America,” she answered.  
“And what is it like in the 21st Century? Are those who are Black treated any more humanely?” Jamie directed to Skylar.   
“I wish so bad that I could say yes, that everyone is seen as equal and treated fairly. But unfortunately, they’re not. I mean, major strides were made. Obviously, we don’t have slavery, Black men and women are able to vote, run for political offices, have many many more job opportunities and freedoms; but it’s still a very dangerous and difficult world to live in for people of color.” When the Black Lives Matter movement had started in 2013, Skylar was only 10 years old and didn’t fully understand what it was. She had grown up as a middle class young white girl. She had experienced sexism starting a young age when she got catcalled for the first time at just 11 years old or when teachers in elementary school asked for “strong boys” to help carry or move things. But the first time she ever witnessed racism wasn’t until she was 15. She had just been walking on the sidewalk with her friend Alana, who was African American, and some random man, who neither of them knew, yelled the n-word out of his window to Alana as he drove past them. Skylar had gotten furious and wanted to chase that man down and call the police on him. But Alana told her that would do nothing but make the matter worse. The police would take his side and would see her as a threat and likely hurt her. She said that things like this happened all the time and she just tried to not let each one affect her. That moment had made Skylar realize just how much advantage and privilege she had in this world because of the color of her own skin, and she felt so ashamed that she had never noticed what so many people around her, including her very good friend, were living through.   
It made Skylar burning mad remembering it. She wanted to hope that in the year she had been gone, things may have started to change for the better. But she doubted it.   
“Where did you find him?” a voice spoke, bringing Skylar out of her head. A young woman had approached them, her face full of curiosity and astonishment. “I must know, is he genuine?” They all quickly understood that she was referring to Willoughby. Skylar turned her face to the side so this woman wouldn’t see her roll her eyes so hard they could’ve fallen out of her head.  
Obviously uncomfortable with this, but reminding himself that this is what Willoughby was here for, to be a distraction, Jamie said to her, “May I introduce my acquaintance, Mr. Yi Tien Cho, late of the Celestial Kingdom of China.” Willoughby politely bowed to her and she curtsied back, with the biggest idiotic grin on her face.  
“Really? From China? What an unthinkable distance you must’ve come. Do let me welcome you to our small island, Mr…Mr. Cho.”  
“If all of the women are as delightful as you, I shall feel quite at home,” Willoughby responded, playing along.   
“Goodness. He even speaks English,” she said to her friends behind her, all of them giggling.   
The line started to move and Willoughby gave Jamie a look that said to go on without him; so the remaining of the group moved forward a bit.  
“That was the most uncomfortable moment I’ve ever been a part of in my life,” Skylar stated.  
“It was probably the best moment of hers,” Claire came back with. “For her never having seen someone from Asia before and probably won’t again, I’m sure she’ll never forget it.”  
As they continued to move in the line, Skylar kept hearing the newly minted Mr. and Mrs. Fraser constantly flirting behind her. She would glance behind at them and see Fergus whisper something in Marsali’s ear that made her blush and giggle, and their faces were never more than a half inch from the other’s.  
“Ugh, I’m gonna be sick,” Skylar thought out loud.  
“I heard that,” Fergus shot back, pushing her shoulder a little as he knew her comment was directed to him and his wife.  
“I wasn’t trying to hide it.”  
“You and Ian are going to be the exact same way when you’re finally together, so if you continue to mock us, you’ll get it right back.” Though her back was to him, Fergus could tell what he had said made her heart ache and only reminded her of why they were here; not that there was any chance she had forgotten. “You and Ian will be together, Skylar. He’s right here under our noses somewhere. We will find him soon.”  
“I know. We’re close. We’re close to wherever he is. I can’t explain but I-I can feel him, almost. It’s like I have some sort of sense or something that we’re right on top of him.”  
“Well that’s good!” Marsali said. “If ye can feel him or sense him, that means he’s alive.”  
“I really really hope that’s what it is.”  
 _And not a feeling of danger or doom for him instead._  
When Jamie and Claire were just about at the front of the line, Skylar saw Jamie tense up in shock. His face went white and his eyes were wide.   
“Are you okay, Jamie?” she asked him. He didn’t hear her.  
He turned to Claire and said, “Perhaps it’s because of yer comin’ through the stones.”  
“Perhaps what is?” Claire asked, mildly concerned.  
“The ghosts,” he said, staring ahead at someone, “that keep comin’ inte our lives, drawn te us the way we are drawn te each other.”  
Skylar looked ahead to see who Jamie was talking about. She saw a man at the head of the line, who she guessed was the governor from the regality of his dress and demeanor. He was very tall and extremely handsome. He seemed young, a good bit younger than Jamie yet older than Fergus. Skylar had no idea who he was, and neither, it seemed, did Claire. But Jamie certainly did. Keeping his grin in check, he stepped forward and stopped in front of the man.  
Immediately upon seeing Jamie, the governor’s face went through about a dozen different emotions, but ended on utter joy.  
“Your Excellency,” Jamie greeted him, bowing.  
Stuttering from excitement, the man finally got out, “Jamie.”  
“Good te see ye, John.” Bringing Claire forward as John, which Skylar now knew was his name, struggled to collect himself, he introduced her, “This is me wife, Claire. Claire, this is Lord John.”  
Claire curtsied to him and John’s face had switched to confusion as he looked at her. Skylar, Fergus and Marsali all stayed a bit back, not wanting to interrupt what was obviously a wonderful reunion.  
“John Grey?” Claire questioned. Skylar could tell Claire knew that name, but Jamie had never mentioned any John Grey in the stories he had recounted to her about his past with Claire.  
“Yes,” John confirmed. “But I thought that…”  
“Aye. I thought she’d died too, but she returned te me.”   
_How does this man know about Claire? And how does Claire know him? I need a hell of a lot more backstory, like, now,_ Skylar thought, watching this play out.  
“My God. But how?”  
“That’s a rather long story,” Claire put simply.   
John continued to stare at Jamie for another few seconds with a look on his face that she recognized very well.  
 _Omigod, shut up! No way!_  
Lord John Grey was looking at Jamie Fraser the same way Skylar saw Fergus look at Marsali that first time and how Ian looked at her during her first time at Lallybroch, which had scared her out of her mind. This man was in love with Jamie.   
_Oh, this poor man,_ she thought on, knowing what it meant to be gay during this time.  
“Come, let’s talk in private,” John said to Jamie and Claire. He walked off with the two behind him.  
Suddenly remembering that he was the Governor of Jamaica and the man they had come to this party to talk to, Skylar started to follow them as well. But Fergus caught her.   
“Better to let Milord handle this on his own,” he said.  
“But that’s the governor! He’s the one who’ll know about Ian!”  
“Aye, and Milord and Milady will find out what he knows. It appears they’re familiar with each other. Milord talking to him himself will do more than him being questioned by five people at the same time.”  
She knew he had a point, but she wasn’t happy about it. She wanted to be there to hear when they found out anything about where Ian was and who could have him. But again, she had to wait.   
Without saying anything in return, she just walked into the ballroom. As she made her way through the room, she accidentally ran into a woman who seemed to be in a rush.  
“Oh, sorry,” Skylar said. The woman was a hair taller than she was with very sharp and pointed features. She was wearing a large rich looking red dress and a wig similar to Jamie’s but with red hair instead of white.  
“Yer fine, dear,” she said back quickly with a Scottish accent; and then she was off. Something about that woman gave Skylar the chills, but she brushed it off and kept walking.  
She ended up just doing laps of the room, waiting for any sign of Jamie and Claire to reappear with the governor. As she went around, she saw servants holding trays of alcohol, with more trays of the same scattered on tables around the room. She decided that maybe having a few sips of one or two drinks might help to relax her and lessen her ever growing stress and anxiety. But by her third lap, those “few sips” turned into 3 full glasses of champagne and 2 of brandy. Even in Edinburgh when she was constantly around Jamie and Fergus who drank whiskey like water, she didn’t have much experience with alcohol. She had had some now and then, but preferred non-alcoholic beverages when she could. So, drinking this much in such a short amount of time caused her to feel it quickly. The fact that she had no food in her stomach did not help either. She was starting to stumble and was having a hard time keeping her balance. Her vision was somewhat obscured and she at first missed when she went to take another glass.   
“Thanks, my dude,” she said to the man she took the drink from and walked away, nearly running into a table. She raised the glass to her mouth to drink, but someone took it from her before she could.   
“I think you have had enough, Skylar.” She looked to the person who spoke and saw a blurry Fergus.  
“Gimme it back.” She reached forward for it, but nearly fell completely over. Fergus caught her and stood her up, holding onto her as she swayed slightly from side to side.  
“You should sit down.”  
“M’fine.” She pushed him off and started to walk away. She made it about a quarter way around the room again when she looked behind her and saw Fergus and Marsali trailing her. She went into the crowd to try to lose them, but she kept running into people or furniture which slowed her down.   
Fergus caught up to her and took her arm gently to stop her. She flailed her arm to get him to let go.  
“Stop following me!” she cried. Swinging her arm kind of in Marsali’s direction, she said, “You have a wife now. Focus on her.”   
She was falling from one foot to the other to keep her balance, so Fergus held onto her arms to keep her still as he talked to her. “Skylar, I know you’re afraid and concerned about Ian. But this is the wrong way to deal with it. Milord and Milady are getting knowledge from the governor about him as we speak. They’ll have news for us soon. We just have to wait and-”  
“I’ve waited for months! I turned a whole new age while waiting! I’m done with waiting!” She tried to push herself out of his grasp, but he only tightened his grip on her.   
“We need to get you water and find somewhere for you to sit and rest.”  
“No! I’m not going with you!” Seeing people looking over at them, Fergus let go of her, not wanting to make any more of a scene.  
“Sky, please. We’re worried about ye. We want te help ye,” Marsali told her.   
Not acknowledging what she said, Skylar grabbed a champagne glass from the table next to them and told them, “Ima go outside. Dinna follow me.” She poked Fergus in the chest then pushed him aside and walked out.  
She stumbled her way to the gardens in the back of the mansion. She fell onto a bench and looked at the sky. The moon was in its crescent phase, so she couldn’t see its face.  
“Why’re you not smiling, Mom? Pl-plea-please smile.” She stared at the it, expecting it to grow into a full moon, and was very disappointed when it didn’t. “Fine then. Don’t, whatevs. Cheers, Mom.” She raised her glass to “her mom” and drank the whole thing. She set the empty glass on the ground and when she sat back up straight, the world was spinning. She closed her eyes and held her head. “Stop moving,” she said to no one.   
“Are you alright?” came an English voice above her. She looked up and saw a young man, who looked to be in his early 20s, standing next to her.  
“Who-who’re…who’re you?”  
He sat next to her. “I was walking around the garden and I saw you sitting here alone. I thought we could keep each other company. Would you like a brandy?” She looked at cup he was holding out to her. She took it and held it with both hands as she drank it down, like a toddler with a sippy cup. “Now, where is your husband? He shouldn’t leave you alone like this.”  
“Pfffft. M’no married,” she said, her words slurring together.  
“Then you are engaged, correct?”  
“No ring, bitch.” She shoved her hand very close to his face to prove it.  
“Well, that is outrageous. How is a stunning creature like you not spoken for?” Skylar was trying to keep her eyes from crossing, so she didn’t see him slowly look her over. He moved in closer to her and put his hand on her knee. He leaned into her and whispered, “Do you realize how exceptionally beautiful you are?”   
“I-I…I, um…I don’t-I don’t like it. N-no thank you.” He dragged his hand up to her thigh and started to kiss her shoulder. “No, no,” she fought, trying roll him off her shoulder. But he didn’t budge. “I have to, um…I-I need I need…need to find Fergus.”  
She stood up and took maybe 2 wobbly steps when the man grabbed her wrist.   
“You’re alright, beautiful,” he told her in a very unsettling calm voice. He stood up and faced her, pulling her into him and holding her waist too tight. “You don’t need to be scared, you’re alright. I’m going to take care of you.” Then, he kissed her. She tried to pull away but her held the back of her head so she couldn’t. She managed to get her hands on his chest and pushed him as hard as she could, sending him stumbling back a couple steps.   
“Stop!” she screamed. He didn’t. Not losing a beat, he grabbed her again and held her tighter, starting to work on her neck.  
“No! No! No! No!” she kept crying, trying to hit him but he was holding her arms.  
Suddenly, he pulled back from her. She opened her eyes, which she had clenched shut, and saw that it was actually Fergus who had pulled him away from her. He spun the man around to face him and punched him square across the face. He hit him in the gut and again in the face. He pulled the Englishman in by his collar and, being a good few inches taller, towered over the man intimidatingly.  
“If I see you so much as look at my sister for the rest of the night, I will end your life. Do you understand me?” he said almost in a whisper, but very threatening and undoubtedly meaning it. Before the man could answer, Fergus pushed him. “Leave. Now.” And he did immediately. When he was gone, Fergus went right to Skylar. “Are you alright, Skylar? Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?”  
She just shook her head no. “How-how did you find me?”  
“You didn’t actually think I was going to let you come out here on your own did you?”  
Twisting her braid in her hand, she said, “Thanks for following me.”  
“Let’s sit down. Marsali?” Marsali appeared from behind a tree, where they must’ve been hiding as they watched over her. The three of them sat on the bench with Skylar in between them.  
Without any warning, Skylar burst into tears. “I want Ian. I just I want-I want him back. I love him. I love him so much. I want him back.” Fergus wrapped his arms around her and brought her head to his shoulder while Marsali rubbed circles on her back.  
“I know, ma soeur. I know.”  
Neither of them said anything else. They just let her feel for as long as she needed.   
After a few minutes, she had gotten it all out and wiped the last of her tears away. Sniffing, she said, “I’m so tired. I wanna go home.”  
“Come here.” He stood and picked her up, carrying her bridal style as she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head against him, closing her eyes.   
As they walked to wherever Fergus was taking her, Skylar vaguely heard someone familiar say, “Is she alright?”   
“Yes, Milady,” Fergus answered in a whisper, trying not to stir the near asleep girl in his arms.  
Claire, she thought hazily.   
“She is just very tired. I’m taking her to our carriage,” he continued.  
Skylar raised her head slightly and just opened her eyes enough to see when she heard Claire introduce the person she was with, telling them her name was Geillis. It was the woman Skylar had bumped into earlier.  
“Sorry for hitting you before,” she mumbled, then dropped her head again.  
She must’ve fallen asleep for a minute because the next thing she knew, she was being laid down on the seat in one of the carriages Jamie had rented.   
“What-what’s going on?” she asked, barely conscious.  
“Shhh, go back to sleep, Skylar,” Fergus said to her. “You’re safe here. Marsali and I will be right outside.”  
She just nodded, her eyes closing again and the world faded around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Below are the links to the dress I was referencing that Claire had Skylar wear, and a picture of the hairstyle I tried to describe.
> 
> https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=N0rv5T%2bv&id=CA56A35010659DADB862DA5A4F4BD881B93BC0A6&thid=OIP.N0rv5T-vwdBnswAFatCNnQHaLj&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fi.pinimg.com%2f736x%2f19%2ff9%2fc4%2f19f9c4340eddc5bff4f7ace481413ab9--the-arts-outlander-costumes.jpg&exph=582&expw=373&q=claire+outlander+season+2+costumes+purple+dress&simid=608001982607658871&ck=4BE9DCCC0DDA5CD3E1C645054A444082&selectedIndex=0&ajaxhist=0  
> (DRESS)
> 
> https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=OqJ%2fGfm0&id=42879C30D8617C0C72615D44BECA936E74474066&thid=OIP.OqJ_Gfm0Ag2B8EhGDKj9BwAAAA&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fs-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com%2foriginals%2f72%2fe3%2fbe%2f72e3be0cd6f49f6f4f767a235f28ca40.jpg&exph=600&expw=434&q=18th+century+hairstyles+for+young+girls&simid=608019634876189596&ck=2BEACD9ECF226F89BE2919131D46C0BB&selectedIndex=147&ajaxhist=0  
> (HAIR)


	22. Madly Deeply Wholly Completely

_Skylar sighed for the millionth time. History was definitely not her favorite class. She was only half paying attention to what Mr. Morrison was saying. She just continued to doodle little ships sailing on water in her notebook.  
“Alright class, so we are all very familiar with slavery in America. But today, we’re going to be focusing on what slavery meant in Jamaica,” Mr. Morrison told the class. “The concept of slavery was first introduced in Jamaica in the 16th Century when the Spanish settled and forced the Arawak Indians, the natives of the island, into hard labor. But when the Arawak were wiped out, the Spanish started to import African slaves to work on the tobacco and sugar plantations.”  
“Mr. Morrison?” a girl called out, raising her hand.  
“Yes?”  
“Weren’t white people also sold at slave markets then?”  
“That’s true. Though they were often kept as indentured servants rather than slaves. We don’t have as much information on rebellions of indentured servants as we do slaves. But there is one who is talked about and well known throughout history. His name was Ian Murray, a Scottish teenager from the 18th Century.”  
Skylar’s head snapped up, now giving her teacher her undivided attention.   
“What happened to him?” a boy asked.   
“He was kidnapped from Scotland by Portuguese pirates and brought to Jamaica where he was sold to a merciless man. Young Ian was brutally beaten and tortured, being given just enough food and water to keep him alive. One day, he had enough. He murdered his master and tried to escape. His actions inspired other indentured servants to do the same.”  
Skylar felt like she was suffocating. She didn’t want to hear anymore.  
“Did he ever get freed?” another girl asked.  
“His family had tried to save him. They chased his captors all the way to Jamaica, but because of multiple obstacles they met along the way, they were too late. He got caught 2 days after he ran away and was executed. He was dead before he could be rescued. They were too late.” Mr. Morrison looked right at Skylar and said, “You’re too late.”  
“No! No we’re not! He’s alive! He is! I know he is!” she screamed at him. She whipped her around to look at where she was. “Why am I here? Why am I here? I have to go back! I need to save Ian!” She leapt up from her desk and ran out of the room into the school hallway. “Ian!” she cried. “Ian, where are you?!”  
“Yank!” she heard Ian’s voice call out. It was very faint. She heard it again, “Yank!”  
“Ian, where are you?” she called back.  
“Find me! Help me!”  
“I’m trying but you need to tell me where you are!”  
“Yank!”   
She ran down the hall, following his voice as it continued to yell for her. It got louder and louder as she went further down the hall. It led her to a door which was the door to the lodge at the Black Cat Inn. She opened it and went inside. She walked into the room she was staying in with Claire and Jamie. She looked down and saw she had changed from the jeans and t-shirt she had been wearing to her purple gown.   
“Ian?” she called again as she went into the bedroom. But sitting on the bed was not Ian. It was a woman. She was dressed in a hospital gown and had a scarf covering her bald head.   
“Hi, sweetheart,” she spoke, in the same calm and loving tone that Skylar had heard her use for her entire life.  
“Mom? What are you doing here?”  
She looked off, out the window. “The moon is so beautiful here. It seems brighter than it is in Scotland.”  
“Do you know where Ian is? Is he okay?”  
Her mom looked back at her. “He’s alive. But you need to hurry. She has plans.”  
“Who does? What is she planning?”  
“I’m sorry, Skylar. I have to go.” She stood up and walked past Skylar and out the door. Skylar ran after her, stopping at the door.  
“Mom, please don’t leave me again! I need you! Please stay!”_

Skylar’s eyes shot open when the carriage shook as the door opened. She sat up and looked around. She was still in Jamaica. It was 1767. Fergus and Marsali climbed in and had barely closed the door before the carriage took off.  
“What’s happening?” Skylar asked, definitely still drunk and groggy from just waking up. Her mind was also reeling from her dream and what her mom had said in it.  
“Captain Leonard was here,” Fergus told her. “Milord told us to meet him and Milady back at the inn.”  
“Did they say anything about what the governor told them?”  
“We didn’t have time to ask.”  
“We need to find him. He’s in danger! A woman has him and is planning to hurt him!”  
“How do ye ken that?” Marsali questioned.  
“I was dreaming and my mom told me. I know that sounds insane but I feel like it’s real and she’s right.”  
“We will talk to Milord and Milady about it at the inn. We’ll all be there soon.”  
None of them spoke the rest of the way, they were all too on edge.   
They jumped out of the carriage as soon as it stopped and ran into the lodge. It was empty.  
“Where are they?” Skylar asked.  
“Claire’s been here,” Marsali told them, seeing the gown she had worn that night on the bed.   
“I had hoped Mr. Willoughby would be here. Harm may have befallen him,” Fergus said.   
“He’s a clever man, he’ll ken how te avoid harm,” Marsali assured him.  
“Is he missing?” Skylar pressed.  
“We couldn’t find him anywhere at the reception. I really hope he’s okay,” Fergus told her.   
“There’s naught we can do fer him. We dinna ken this island,” Marsali went on. Fergus glanced at Claire’s dress and saw there was a note on it. He picked it up and read it.   
“It’s from Milady. Milord has been arrested by Captain Leonard.”  
“What?!” Skylar exclaimed.  
 _Nose, mouth. Nose, mouth._  
“We must make haste te the Artemis, then. We’ll need help,” Marsali said.   
“No, there’s another way,” Fergus countered. “I must go now. Wait here for me, the both of you.”  
“Fergus Fraser, I am yer wife. I’m comin’ with ye.” He knew there was no arguing with her about it. He looked at Skylar, about to beg her to stay here, but she stopped him.  
“Don’t even try to keep me from going.” Not to waste any time on what would clearly be a waste of effort, he just accepted this.   
As the three went back out and stepped into the carriage, he said, “The two most strong minded women in the world are my wife and my sister. How did that happen?”  
“What’s your plan?” Skylar asked him as the driver took off.  
“He and the governor are friends, no? Lord John has authority over Captain Leonard now that he is on shore. He can get Milord freed.”   
“Did Claire’s note say anything else?” she followed with another question. Her adrenaline was so high right now, she could feel herself getting sober.  
Fergus opened the note again and continued to read it over. His eyes went wide as he finished it and looked back up at Skylar. “She knows where Ian is.”  
Skylar stopped breathing. “Wh-what-what?” she stuttered.   
“Where is he?” Marsali asked for Skylar, seeing that she could barely breathe let alone speak.  
“She says he is at a place called Rose Hall being held captive by a woman named Geillis. That’s who Milady was with earlier. She has gone to find him.”  
“Omigod, omigod,” was all Skylar could get out. She held onto her mom’s necklace tight, feeling as though if she let go she would wake up from what felt like a dream as well. She was going through a million different emotions as this news sunk in, but felt like she was paralyzed at the same time. She was unable to produce any sort of outward reaction though her mind was spinning.   
_Claire knows where he is. She’s going to get him. Omigod, we know where he is. He’s going to be okay. He’s going to be okay. We’re getting him back._  
When they arrived back at the governor’s mansion, they bound out of the carriage nearly before it stopped completely. They ran inside and into the ballroom, their eyes scouring the room for John Grey.  
“There he is!” Fergus announced. He was talking with a man across the room. They urgently pushed their way as fast as they could through the crowd to get to him. “Your Excellency, sir, we are in dire need of your assistance,” Fergus said with extreme urgency when they reached the man. “It’s about Jamie Fraser. He’s in trouble and he needs your help.”  
“I-I’m sorry, who are you three? How do you know Jamie?” he asked them.  
“My name is Fergus Fraser, I am his son.”  
“Marsali Fraser, his daughter-in-law and ex-stepdaughter.”  
“I’m Skylar Kelley, I’m in love with his missing nephew. Please, sir, you’re Jamie’s only hope.”  
John glanced around quickly, then said, “Come with me.” He led them into a private room. “Now, tell me what is going on. What trouble is Jamie in?”  
They explained to him about how he was being chased by Captain Leonard because a member of crew believed him to be treasonous. And Leonard had him and was likely going to take him back to England to be tried as a traitor.  
Skylar could see in John’s eyes his concern for Jamie’s safety was beyond that of a governor protecting an innocent man. It was close to the same look she had when Ian had been taken. Though he had to hide it and keep his face as neutral as possible. “I will send my men immediately to intercept Captain Leonard. He and Jamie will be brought here and I will deal with it. I promise you, I will not let any harm come to him.”  
“Thank you, Your Excellency. We are greatly in your debt,” Fergus thanked him, bowing as the two girls curtsied. John gave a slight bow back. The four walked back out and John went right to the captain of his army while Skylar, Marsali and Fergus headed back to the Artemis to inform the crew on all the goings on. 

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Ian laid in the dark in his room, staring at the ceiling. Well, it wasn’t exactly a “room,” it was more a larger sized pantry. He had emptied out a burlap sack and put it on the floor to act as a “bed” and he used a bag of flour as a pillow. He was thankful, at least, that the pantry was twice the size of the cell he had been held in as they sailed to Jamaica. He wasn’t sure how long the trek had actually been. It felt so endless that the days blended together and he had lost track of time.   
But now, it had been just over a week since they got here, and it had been 6 days since Geillis had taken him prisoner.   
Except “prisoner” wasn’t the right word. She basically had been keeping him as her whore. When he told her that he wasn’t a virgin, she was angry at first. It seemed to mess up some ultimate plan she had. But she decided that because of his experience, which was honestly non-existent since he had only been with one girl, she would hold onto him. So, whenever she wanted him, she had him. He said no and fought her every time he was brought to her, but he was always painfully reminded that he had no say. He would be tortured by her servants through beatings, hot wax or being burned by candle flames until he gave in. Even after all that, if he still refused, he would be physically held down while Geillis had her way.   
_I should’ve lied. I should’ve told her I was a virgin,_ he thought. _But she would’ve killed me if I had. Though that would have been better than te keep goin’ through this hell._  
He hated it every time. He felt gross and guilty over it because, even though he did not want it, his body would respond to it and it still felt good. He tried to fight it. He would concentrate on anything else to try not to feel it. But sometimes when he saw no point in fighting a battle that he was bound to lose, he would close his eyes and in his mind, it was Skylar he was with instead.   
His thoughts of Skylar were the only thing keeping him alive. Not only when he was forced to Geillis’ bed, but through the torturous months on the boat, and every day he had been on this island. Holding onto the idea that he was going to see her again was what helped him survive each day and allowed him to not lose the hope that he would be rescued.  
During nights when he was overpowered by thoughts of giving up and not wanting to continue living, he saw her. He saw her face and how her eyes lit up when she smiled. He heard her laugh that could always make him happy again when he was upset. He would remember the warmth and joy he would feel when he was around her. As soon as he would think of her, he would smile again.   
In almost no time at all, he had fallen helplessly in love with her. When he saw her for the first time in his uncle’s printshop, he had thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Then, as they continued to talk and be around each other for the rest of that day, he could feel himself already starting to fall fast and hard for her. As they became better friends and his feelings grew stronger, he had worked so hard to keep them hidden, and he thought he was doing it well. But before his first week there ended, Fergus told him that it was more than obvious. He had begged Ian practically every day, both times that he was in Edinburgh and when Fergus and Skylar brought him back to Lallybroch, to tell her. But Ian refused to. The fear that she wouldn’t want to be his friend and never talk to him again if she found out outweighed the near impossibility that she felt the same way. But at this moment, he was regretting it.  
 _I should’ve told her when I had the chance. There could’ve been the possibility she would return it. And now I could die and she’ll never know. No. No, I’m not goin’ te die. I’m goin’ te survive and get back te her. And when I do, I’ll tell her. I will._  
His train of thought was broken when the door opened. He sat up and saw the towering figure of Geillis’ head servant, Hercules.   
“I’m no goin’ wi’ ye,” Ian told him. “She’s had me already teday, and I willna do it again.” Ignoring what he said, Hercules went to him and forced him to stand. He gripped Ian’s arm and pulled him out, driving him towards what felt like his death.  
Hercules shoved him into the room and closed the door behind him, leaving Ian alone. He looked to the bed and saw Geillis sitting on the edge of it, staring at him. Needing to show that she had no power over him and that he was not afraid of her, he made his face void of any emotion and walked to her, keeping his spine straight and not breaking eye contact.   
He stood in front of her and said, “Let’s just get it over with.”  
“I didna bring ye here fer that, lad. We have a matter te discuss,” she told him. He didn’t say anything back. He just stared at her unwavering, waiting for her to go on. “Through all yer blatherin’, ye failed te tell me about yer Auntie Claire.”  
“What has she te do wi’ this?”  
“It was she who was after the treasure. Why?”  
“Perhaps ye canna hear properly. ‘Twas te pay a debt.”  
“Yer lyin’,” she said decidedly. “She wanted the sapphire. She learned about the prophecy.” He knew nothing he would say would change her mind and he snapped.  
“I’m tired of yer blatherin’. So leave me be or get on with it, ye bitch!” He lunged at her to attack her, but another of her servants caught him and pulled him away from her. “I swear, I’ll gut ye!” The servant held tight onto Ian as he struggled to get free. One of Geillis’ maids then came into the room and whispered something to her.   
Geillis turned to the man holding Ian and ordered him, “Take him away, quickly.”   
Ian started to shout in protest, but the man clapped a hand over his mouth, dragged him out and threw him back into the pantry, locking the door from the outside. Ian pounded on the door, screaming to be let out and that he was going to kill the man and Geillis.   
“Shit!” he shouted, banging both fists one last time on the door. He pressed his forehead against the wood so hard it started to hurt. He pushed himself from it and leaned his back to it, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor. He pulled his knees in and rested his head on them.  
 _Uncle Jamie, where are ye?_  
He continued to sit against the door a while longer until it swung open, making him fall back. Hercules lifted him up and, before Ian could say anything, gagged him and tied his hands together. Trying to shout through the cloth in his mouth, Hercules forcibly towed him out, Ian contesting every step. They went outside and were met with Geillis. Ian glared daggers at her, trying to will her to die with his mind.   
She barely gave him a glance and said to Hercules, “Let’s go.” Without another word, Hercules picked Ian up and threw him over his shoulder.   
They walked for close to an hour. Ian didn’t stop trying to yell and scream the entire way. He punched against Hercules’ back as hard as he could, but it didn’t do anything.   
Geillis led them through a jungle, hearing the sounds of drumming getting closer and closer until it was on top of them. From where he was, he could see tall flames and brief glimpses of people dancing. They didn’t go straight through whatever it was, but they passed right next to it. Ian tried to shout to them and get their attention, but no one heard him. They were unaware of the danger the young man was facing as he was carried past them, watching what might have been his only chance of rescue fading into the dark. The drumming was now gone as they walked into a cave. Geillis brought them deep inside it, and when they got to where they were going, Hercules dropped Ian to the ground.   
He looked around and saw they were next to a pool of water that seemed to be glowing and was various shades of blue and green. Hercules tied Ian’s legs as he watched Geillis. She had taken some kind of white powder from her pocket and poured it out in a specific pattern. She added gemstones into it and then took out what looked like a piece of paper. She stared at it for a minute, then put it down onto the powdered shape.  
Ian was still crying out, trying to get the gag out of his mouth.   
“Don’t worry. Ye’ll be sacrificed fer a great cause,” she told him.   
His eyes went wide when she said that and his breathing picked up.  
 _Jesus Christ, she’s goin’ te kill me._   
He was trying not to show that he was afraid, but that was getting more and more difficult. His eyes darted around the space, looking for anything that he could use as a weapon. But as he tried to reach for a rock, he realized it was nearly impossible for him to move. He had no chance of fighting or escaping. This was it. He was going to die in some cave in Jamaica. He closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing. In his head, he said a prayer for himself, and for his family that they would be safe and could continue living a good life after him. He said a third prayer for Skylar, that she would she would find happiness and be protected, cared for and loved for the rest of her life.   
He squeezed his eyes shut tighter thinking of her. A couple tears slipped down his face knowing he would never see her or hold her again, never having gotten the chance to tell her.  
 _I love ye, Skylar. Ye’ll never ken how fiercely I love ye. I’m sorry I never told ye. I should have told ye._  
His eyes snapped open when he heard people run in and his heart leapt when he saw it was Jamie and Claire. He shouted at them, though his voice was muffled. Geillis saw them as well and stood up.  
“So, ye came, did ye?” she spoke to them.   
“Ian!” Jamie yelled, seeing him and starting to run to him.   
“Don’t come any closer, fox!” Jamie stopped when he heard a gun click. Hercules stood behind him with a gun to his head. “Persist, and Hercules will put a bullet in yer head. I only spare ye because Claire is fond of ye.”  
Ian looked back and forth between Geillis and his uncle. When Jamie and Claire came in, he instantly thought that he would finally be freed from this woman and he wasn’t going to die. But seeing Jamie drop the sword he had been wielding, he felt his hope slipping away again. Geillis then turned to him and poured something on him that smelled like alcohol. He started screaming from fear. He saw Geillis holding one of the torches and knew what she was about to do.   
“Geillis, don’t!” Claire cried out.   
Ian didn’t see it, but with Geillis distracted, Jamie took the opportunity to knock the gun out of Hercules’ hand and started to fight him, allowing Claire to advance. She ran towards Ian, but Geillis held the flaming torch out in front of her to stop her from getting closer.   
Ian was in such a state of high adrenaline and panic that he wasn’t paying attention to the words the women were saying. He was still pulling at his restraints to try to break out, and his eyes went back and forth from Claire and Geillis to Jamie and Hercules. His mind was going a million different directions, and his heart felt like it was going to explode. He had started to black out, but was brought back to reality when suddenly everything went silent. He looked up and saw Claire holding a bloody sword with Geillis’ lifeless body at her feet, her head nearly off. Seeing the woman dead, relief rushed over him so quickly and without warning that he went ice cold and almost passed out. He couldn’t stop staring at the body until he felt someone touch him. He jumped out of panic, but then saw it was Jamie.   
Jamie took the gag from his mouth and Ian smiled wearily. “Uncle Jamie,” he said, happy being a major understatement for what he felt looking at the man.  
Jamie cut through Ian’s ropes and pulled his nephew to him, nearly crushing him from hugging him so hard. But Ian couldn’t care less. He hugged his uncle back as strong as he could and started to cry into his shoulder.  
“There’s no reason te be afraid, lad,” Jamie spoke to him calmly. He held the boy for a full minute before pulling from him and saying, “Let’s go home, aye?” Ian just nodded. “Claire?” he called to her, but she didn’t answer. “Claire?” He looked to her and saw her in a trance-like state, walking towards the pool. Jamie stood up and took her hand, bringing Claire back from wherever she was. She looked at him, her face thanking him for stopping her. Stopping her from what, Ian didn’t know. But right now, all he could think about was getting out of the cave.  
He gathered the gemstones from the treasure that had started this whole epic, knowing how valuable they were, and Jamie helped him stand. The three then walked out, none of them looking back at the scene they left behind.   
The sun had started to rise while they were in the cave, and the light was a soft grey. Ian ran ahead, wanting to get as much distance between that place and himself as possible. When he got to a clearing, he stopped and looked back, seeing his Aunt and Uncle catching up to him.   
“I knew ye’d come, Uncle Jamie,” he said, Jamie walking closer to him. “But ye left it a bit late, aye?” He started crying again, each moment that he had been through playing in his head.   
“I did, then.” Ian fell into his uncle’s arms, letting his tears fall. “I’m sorry, Ian.” Ian could tell he truly meant that and felt horribly guilty for taking so long to get to him. He kissed his nephew’s head and pulled from him, smiling at him. Ian smiled back, finally accepting that he wasn’t in anymore danger. “We’re alright now. Sassenach?” Jamie turned to Claire but saw her just staring at the blood soaked sword she was still holding. She was so pale she was almost transparent and she was shaking frightfully. Jamie looked at Ian, and the boy nodded, saying he would be fine and to go to Claire.   
As he did, Ian walked to a tree and leaned his back against it, able to start breathing normally again. He looked back over and saw Jamie holding Claire as she sobbed.   
“We’ll rest now,” Jamie told her. “We must get back te the ship. I told Fergus te gather our belongin’s, have Lesley and Hayes make ready te sail. But first,” he looked back at Ian, “I must hold ye both.” He held out his arm to Ian, and the boy went right to him, pressing as close to his uncle as he could. Jamie held onto to both of them for many seconds. When he let go of them, he said, “We’ll continue on fer a while longer, then find a place te camp fer the night. We’ll return te the ship in the morning.”  
Ian agreed to that. His adrenaline had nearly all worn off and he felt the most exhausted he had ever been. By the time they had decided to stop, it was well into the afternoon and the heat from the sun was only making him feel worse. He was sure he wouldn’t have made it to the ship if they had kept going.   
They found berries and plants to eat, as well as fish from a nearby river that Jamie was able to catch on his own and put on a stick over a fire. As they ate, Jamie and Claire asked Ian about what he had been through and what had happened to him, but he only gave bits and pieces. He didn’t want to tell them everything. He was so ashamed of it himself, and he didn’t want to feel anyone else’s judgement. His uncle and aunt understood that he wasn’t ready to give every detail, and they respected that.   
“We’ll leave at first light,” Jamie said after the sun had set. “We shouldna take too long te get back. There are many people on board that are goin’ out of their minds te see ye again, Ian. One lass in particular is the worst of them all.”  
Ian looked at his uncle and saw him give him a knowing grin. He searched Jamie’s face for signs he was lying, but there were none.   
“Skylar…she’s here?” he asked, not believing it.  
“She is. She’s on the ship waitin’ fer ye. I tried te tell her te wait fer us back at Lallybroch, but she woulda take no fer answer.”  
Hearing that Skylar had come with everyone to find him, and that she was so close, that he would see her the next day, Ian’s stomach started to hurt in the good way it always did when he was around her. He tried to fight back the enormous smile that wanted to grow on his face. He remembered what he had promised himself the night before; that when he saw her again, he would tell her how he felt. And he was going to keep that promise.

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It had been over 24 hours, which felt like an eternity, since Skylar, Fergus and Marsali had come back to the Artemis, giving the crew word that Jamie and Claire knew where Ian was. Skylar hadn’t left her cabin, and everyone knew to leave her be. She sat on her bed, knees closed in tight to her chest and her head on top of them. She couldn’t think of anything other than Ian, praying with her entire soul that Jamie and Claire found him and were bringing him back.   
“Please, God. Please,” she prayed out loud.   
On the ship’s deck, Fergus continued to keep look out for any sign of the three with Marsali next to him, trying to keep him calm; but not just over his worry for Ian. He himself wanted Ian back as much as anyone, but he knew Skylar was being torn apart more and more every second that he was missing, and he didn’t want to think about what would happen to her if Jamie and Claire were unsuccessful at rescuing him.   
He was scanning the beach through his spyglass when he saw a figure emerge from the jungle. It was a tall man with bright red hair. It was Jamie. He also felt fierce relief at seeing that John Grey had been able to help him escape Captain Leonard. He tightened his grip as he focused more on that spot. A woman was right behind him, who Fergus instantly recognized as Claire, and she had her arm wrapped around another person, a tall slim boy with light hair. Fergus extended the spyglass as far out as it would go, and his smile took up his whole face.  
“Ian. It’s Ian. They found him,” he said just to himself. He then turned to the rest of the ship exclaiming loudly, “They’re back! Milord is back! They have Ian!!” Thundering cheers rang throughout the crew and everyone sprang into action to get a lifeboat ready to carry the three from the beach. Fergus wasted no time. He kissed his wife out of joy and excitement, then sprinted to Skylar’s room and burst through the door.   
“Skylar, they have Ian!” he told her. “They have brought him back!”  
She slowly raised her head and looked at him with swollen red eyes, tears still coming down her face. “He’s alive?” she asked, needing to hear the words. Her face had a look that she almost didn’t believe him.   
He smiled at her assuredly. “Oui, ma soeur. He’s alive. And he’s back. ”  
After a beat passed to let that news hit her, she jumped from her bed and ran faster than she ever thought she could possibly run. She ran to the deck and stopped for a second, looking around. She saw the crew getting the lifeboat ready, but quickly shifted her focus, and she looked over the edge of the ship, needing to see him for herself. Being anchored in a cove instead of a large beach, they had been able to dock closer to shore, so she was able to see more than just dots. When she looked out, the utmost intense feeling of elation filled her body. There he was. The boy she loved had come back to her.  
“Ian!!” she cried.   
From the shore, Ian heard her. He stopped and looked toward the ship moored in the water. He could just make her out on the deck, shouting to him. His heart, which had finally calmed down, started pounding harder than ever and his smile went from ear to ear.   
Skylar saw him freeze and decided that the lifeboat was taking too long. She needed to get to him now. She climbed onto a crate next to her and, ignoring the shouts from Fergus and Marsali who knew exactly what she was doing, she jumped into the water.   
The water was warm and acted as a cleanse of all the terror and panic she had felt during these last months at sea. With her swimming and the waves helping, she made it to the shallow water, and as soon as she was able to, she started running on to the land.   
Seeing her jump off the ship scared Ian to his core. But once he saw her swimming, he started walking towards her. And when she started running, so did he.   
They felt almost like they were never going to reach each other, but both were desperate to get to the one they loved more than anyone or anything in the world.   
Skylar saw the space between them finally getting smaller and smaller and smaller until at last they collided. It seemed they were trying to compete for who could hold the other tighter. Still embraced, they both fell to their knees.   
When they separated, keeping their foreheads pressed together and holding each other’s arms, the first thing Skylar said to him, through happy tears, was, “You promised me, Youngin’, that you would never scare me like that again!”  
“Where’s the fun in keepin’ a promise like that?” he joked.   
They continued to look at each other, neither wanting to even blink. Though they were physically touching, part of them didn’t fully believe they had the other back, and if they closed their eyes for a second, they would be gone.   
Then, not knowing who initiated it, they finally kissed. The kiss got deeper as the seconds went by. Ian pulled her as close to him as he could get her, with Skylar grabbing the back of his shirt.   
When only pulling away when they desperately needed air, Skylar at last told him, “I love you, Ian. I am madly deeply wholly completely in love with you.”  
He cupped her face and confessed back, “Yank, ye own me entire heart and soul. I am yers forever.”  
Their mouths met again, both regretting that they had wasted so much time, but happy beyond belief that they had finally let it happen.  
Jamie and Claire stood back a ways from them, allowing them have this long awaited moment. But when the lifeboat got to the shore, they had to interrupt them. The group was brought back to the Artemis and when they got on deck, every member of the crew gathered to welcome Young Ian and say how thrilled and relieved they were for his return.   
Skylar and Ian clung to each other, not wanting anyone to separate them. But she let go of him briefly when Fergus came up to them and hugged his friend, so overjoyed to have him back.   
After what felt like forever, the two former “just friends” were able to get some peace. They were in Skylar’s cabin laying in the upper bed. She had her head on his chest and an arm draped across him, while he had his arm wrapped around her shoulders, holding her close. They interlocked their fingers and Ian’s thumb was stoking her hand. He told her about Geillis and the cave, how she almost killed him for some “great cause,” and that Jamie and Claire had shown up just in time. As he recounted it, Skylar could hear in his voice the pain it caused him and how much he didn’t want to think about it. So, she gently steered the conversation into telling him about how she came to realize she was in love with him; which, at hearing it, made him glow and beam. He then told her his side of that same story as well.   
“So then please explain to me why you bedded Brighid and caused me that heartbreak,” she inquired. He had just finished telling her how he practically had fallen in love with her the first time he saw her, when she had slipped on the papers and fell on the stairs in Jamie’s printshop.   
“I never imagined in a million years ye felt the same fer me. So I was tryin’ te distract meself from ye. Though, from what ye told me, if it hadna been fer the fire that came from it, ye would never have loved me.”  
“No, what I said was that almost losing you in the fire let me accept that I love you. Difference. You should’ve just told me.”  
“And risk losin’ ye all together? I wasna goin’ te take that chance. Why didn’t ye just tell me?”   
“I was going to, and then you got kidnapped by pirates.”  
“Well, it doesna matter now, does it?”  
She pushed herself up to look him in the eye. “No, it doesn’t.” She just stared at him for a minute. She dragged her hand down his face, brushing his cheek with her thumb. “I’m so happy you’re safe and here with me right now. Please don’t leave me again.”  
“I never will. I give ye my word.”   
She leaned down to kiss him. He kissed her back, holding the back of her neck. She was practically laying on top of him still kissing him when they were interrupted with, “I don’t hear much talking.”  
Skylar pulled from him and answered back, “I thought you told us to act like you weren’t here.”  
Fergus stood up from the bottom bed and looked at them with his arms crossed and a teasing grin. Skylar moved off Ian and sat up, looking at her brother. This was the only way Jamie had agreed to let them spend time together in her cabin; with Fergus chaperoning them.  
“I am only following Milord’s orders,” he told her. “And you said you were just going to talk.”  
“We finally say I love you to each other after he was rescued from an insane witch and you really think I’m not going to kiss him as much as I possibly can?”  
“Yank, it’s okay,” Ian said, taking her hand. “At least Uncle Jamie is allowin’ us te be nearly alone with each other. Ye ken that won’t last. Also, I’m so tired I can barely keep me eyes open. Can we just sleep fer a while?”  
“Of course.” She gave Fergus a look and he disappeared back down. She laid next to Ian, as close to him as she could get, and put her hand on his chest. He held it with his own.   
“Do ye remember that song I heard ye sing at Lallybroch? The one ye sang te wee Benjamin?”  
“Yes.”  
“Would ye sing it fer me?”  
She suddenly felt shy. “Oh, um, I-I don’t…”  
“Please, Sky? It’ll help relax me. I did almost die and all.”  
She chuckled. She could tell he was going to be using that over her for a long time.   
“Fine.” She laced their fingers together again and took a breath. “Lavender’s green, dilly dilly, lavender’s blue. If you love me, dilly dilly, I will love you. Let the birds sing, dilly dilly, let the lambs play. We shall be safe, dilly dilly, out of harm’s way.” She smiled to herself, taking new meaning from the words. She looked up at him and could tell he was already asleep. She kissed his shoulder and kept going, “I love to dance, dilly dilly, I love to sing. When I am queen, dilly dilly, you’ll be my king. Who told me so, dilly dilly, who told me so? I told myself, dilly dilly, I told me so.”   
She let her own eyes close and quickly fell asleep as well, resting peacefully for the first time in months in the arms of the love of her life.


	23. Far From the End of Problems

BOOM!  
Skylar woke with a start at the loudest clap of thunder she had ever heard. The room had become dark and she could feel the ship being tossed and jerked around violently. She sat up and looked around. Ian wasn’t there.  
“Fergus?” she said, seeing if he was still in the room. No answer. She climbed down from her bunk and left her cabin to go find them.  
As she walked down the hall, the violent rocking of the ship made her fall and be thrown into the walls over and over. It was almost impossible to keep her balance. She held onto the wall and anything else she could reach as she went to try to keep herself steady.  
“Skylar!” she heard someone shout. It was Fergus. He was coming towards her, having extreme difficulties walking as well.  
“What’s happening?” she stupidly asked. She knew it had to be a storm, but she more wanted to know how bad of a storm it was.   
“It’s a hurricane,” Fergus told her. “Ian and I went to help when the rain first picked up, but it has gotten so much worse. I was coming to get you. Milord ordered us to get below deck.”  
“Where’s Ian?”  
“He’s already below. We have to go, now!” He took her hand and they went to the main deck to get where everyone else was.  
Skylar held onto his hand and arm as tight as she could as they crossed through. The rain was falling in sheets so thick she couldn’t see, and was hitting her at such high speeds that it was painful. And between the monster waves that kept hitting the ship and the brute force of the wind, it was a challenge to stay on her feet. She looked around as Fergus pulled her and she saw the crew doing everything they could to stay afloat and upright. There were men trying to secure the ropes that held the sails so they wouldn’t fly off. Others were tying down cargo in hopes it wouldn’t get washed away. She saw Jamie and Baxley at the wheel, desperately trying to steer the Artemis against the wind and current to keep it steady.   
They finally got to the grate covering. Fergus opened it and they ran below, thankful for the relief from the wind and rain. Claire, Ian, Marsali, Hayes and Lesley were there as well.   
“Skylar! Thank Christ!” Ian cried out when he saw her. She went right to him and held an arm around him for comfort as well as balance. He gripped tight around her shoulders while hanging onto a rope for himself.   
They hadn’t even been down there for 30 seconds when Fergus exclaimed, “We must help Milord!” He took a couple steps toward the stairs, but Marsali pulled him back and sat him down.   
“Ye’ll do as yer ordered this time!” she yelled.  
Lesley had the same idea as Fergus. “He needs all hands on deck!”  
“Mac Dubh kens what’s best!” Hayes argued, holding firmly onto a bucket as he felt horribly sick.  
“Yes, he does!” Claire agreed. “And he wants you all to stay down here! It’s best to let the experienced sailors do their duty.”  
“I don’t want te stay below, where I’ll be tossed about wi’ no notion of what’s happenin’ overhead!” Ian fought.  
“Too damn bad! You’re not going anywhere!” Skylar shouted back, tightening her hold on him.   
Claire backed her up, saying, “Skylar’s right! You have no choice in the matter, young man!” She then turned and started up the stairs.  
“Well, where are ye goin’ Auntie?” Ian questioned.  
“I’m still the ship’s surgeon.”  
“”You won’t be able to help anyone if you’re killed! Stay here!” Skylar begged.  
“I’ll be right back!” And she was gone.  
As they waited for her to come back, hopefully with Jamie, the waves continued to attack the Artemis with incredible power, causing everyone in the cramped room meant just to hold storage to get thrown around like rag dolls. Skylar could feel bruises forming as she kept hitting the wall or sharp corners on crates.   
As time passed, more of the men joined them. But there was still no sign of Claire and Jamie.   
They suddenly heard a loud cracking and crash from up above, and the ship started to tip dangerously onto its side. Thankfully, it straightened back up.  
“We’re goin’ under! There’s nothin’ we can do! We’re doomed!” Hayes cried, grasping onto his bucket for dear life.  
“Shut up! No we’re not! The storm will pass and we’ll be fine!” Skylar yelled at him. “Where the hell are Jamie and Claire?!”  
Before anyone could utter a word in response, they were hit by the biggest wave yet. Water poured in from the grate that Claire had left open and soaked them all to the bone. Ian could feel how terribly Skylar was shaking against him. He didn’t know if it was from fear or the cold of the water, so he just pulled her closer to him and held her tighter to try to help with both.   
She looked up at him and he back at her. They were both thinking the same thing.  
 _I finally have you, and now we’re going to die._  
After another 30 more agonizing minutes had gone by, neither Jamie nor Claire had come back. Everyone’s faces were very clear that they were all scared for them and had started to think the worst; though no one dared to say it out loud.  
All of a sudden, with an earsplitting CRUNCH and CRASH, the ship was thrown down onto its side. Skylar hit her head on the wall hard, and was knocked unconscious in a shipwreck for the second time. 

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“Skylar! Can ye hear me? Ye need te wake up, Yank. Please! Please wake up!”  
Skylar let out a small groan as she started to come to and let her head fall to the side. The voice she was hearing sounded very far away.   
“Oh, Christ in Heaven. Thank ye, Lord,” she heard it again.  
When she was able to open her eyes, she saw that the voice belonged to Ian. He was right next to her and it looked almost like he was about to cry.  
“Ian,” she muttered, her voice hoarse. Her throat and mouth felt very dry and her head was throbbing.  
 _Ugh, my head again? Are you serious?_ she thought, letting out a quiet “Ahh” in pain and holding her head.  
Ian helped her to slowly sit up, but barely a millisecond after she was sitting straight, he forgot all about needing to be gentle. He hugged her so fiercely she couldn’t breathe.  
He held her for nearly a full minute. When he pulled from her, he looked her all over, asking, “Are ye alright? Yer head, is it badly hurt? I was frightfully worried. Ye werena with us fer so long.”  
“I’m okay. I’m okay. My head hurts but I’ll be fine,” she assured him. He grabbed her face and kissed her over and over, rejoicing that she was in one piece. “It isn’t a nice feeling, thinking you’ve lost the one you love, huh?” she teased.  
He laughed lightheartedly, thankful she was making jokes. “No, no it isn’t. Don’t do that again. Are we even now?”  
“I almost lost you twice. I still have another chance.” They kissed again, Ian keeping a hand on her cheek when they separated.  
He dropped his hand as she looked around for the first time. She saw that they were on a beach, but that’s all she could tell about their location. The crew were scattered, salvaging any supplies or goods they could find that could possibly be saved. The ship, or what was left of it, was on its side at the edge of the shore.   
“We crashed here, right? That last wave, it capsized us,” she said to Ian, though her statement was more asking him to clear up any details she couldn’t remember.  
“Aye. And when that happened, ye hit against the wall so hard ye dropped te the floor and wouldna wake up. I started panickin’ thinkin’ I’d lost ye. The others told me ye’d been put out like that before and ye’d come around soon. I held ye close te me until the storm passed and it was safe te go out. I brought ye up here so ye’d be away from everyone when ye woke up.”   
“Where are Ja-” she started to ask, but was interrupted by someone shouting her name. She looked towards the direction of the voice and saw Fergus and Marsali running to her.   
They fell onto the sand next to her and Fergus hugged her just as crushingly as Ian had.   
When he let go of her, he kept his hands on his shoulders and said very seriously, “Stop doing that! You’re taking years off of my life ma soeur.”  
She smiled somewhat apologetically to him, then looked to Marsali, who just took her hand firmly, her face showing just how relieved she was to see her sister-in-law awake.  
“Where are Jamie and Claire?” Skylar pressed, that being the most important question on her mind.  
“We don’t know,” Fergus answered her, his voice filled with anxiety over the couple who might as well be his parents.   
“What do you mean?” Skylar’s stomach became one large knot.   
“Fergus and I went with Lesley and Hayes te search fer them. We walked fer over a mile down the shore and didna see them,” Marsali said.  
Skylar shook her head. “No. No, no. They’re here. They’re close. They’ve been through things so much worse than a hurricane. They’re alive and here somewhere. We-we just have to keep looking.” Without waiting to hear what anyone else had to say, Skylar broke from Ian and started towards Lesley and Hayes; the others followed her. They were going to come up with a plan, and they would find Jamie and Claire.   
_I thought having Ian back would be the end of our problems. Boy, was I stupid._   
Before they could reach their friends, they were met with a group of maybe 10 people, men and women, who had come down the beach towards them.  
“Are you all in need of any help?” one of the men asked. “I saw your ship get wrecked onto the shore. As soon as the storm passed, my wife and I gathered our friends and we made haste to know if there’s anything we can do.” The way he addressed them held such gravity for their situation, and the group from the Artemis was thankful that these kind strangers could possibly help them find Jamie and Claire.   
“Who are you?” Fergus asked.   
“Joseph Oliver. And you?”  
“Fergus Fraser.”  
“Are all your crew accounted for, Mr. Fraser?”  
“Almost. Two are missing. Our captain and his wife. We started to search for them, but there’s no sign of them.”  
Joseph could hear the desperation to find these people in Fergus’ voice, and from the looks he saw on the other’s faces, these lost two were of high importance. He looked to his group, then back to the young man.   
“My wife and I will continue to explore the beach for them while the rest of my friends will stay with you to do whatever they can to assist you all. Are any of you seriously injured?”  
“I do not believe so.”  
“Then Patsy and I will take our leave.” He reached out his hand to the woman right behind him, who they assumed was his wife. She joined next to him and Joseph turned back to Fergus and the others. “You’ll be in good hands here. And I promise we will do everything we can to find your captain.”  
“Thank you, sir,” Fergus said, expressing how grateful he was through those two words. Joseph nodded at him, and he and his wife started their search.  
As much as the four wanted to go with them to look, they knew they needed to stay at the ship in case Jamie and Claire came back on their own. And they couldn’t leave the men to hunt for all the savable pieces of cargo on their own.   
The others that had come with Joseph helped them find any provisions that were not damaged beyond repair.   
When everything that was still in relatively good shape or could be fixed was collected, one of the other men who had introduced himself as Wesley Smith said, “Why don’t we take you all into town. We’ll find you a place to sit and rest, get you some food and drink.” Nobody spoke against that suggestion. Everyone was exhausted and the idea of food made them all realize how hungry they were.   
As they made their way into town, Ian said to Skylar, “Did ye notice, a lot of them talk like ye.”  
She had been so preoccupied with thoughts of Jamie and Claire that she didn’t hear it when they first spoke. Though not all of them, a small handful of members from the group who found them had American accents.  
 _Where the hell are we?_ she thought.  
“Um, Mr. Smith?” she spoke up to him. “In all the…excitement, I guess you could say, none of us thought to ask. But, uh, where exactly are we? Are we near any mainlands?”  
Wesley laughed at that, then realized she was serious. “We’re on the mainland. You washed up on the shores of the colony of Georgia.”   
Skylar stopped in her tracks. “We-we’re…we’re in…America?”  
Wesley stopped when she did and smiled at her. “From the sound of your accent, I should say welcome home, miss.”  
 _Holy shit. Talk about coming full circle._  
When she started to wrap her mind around that, she ran to catch back up with Ian. He, and everyone else from the Artemis, was shocked about where they had ended up as well, having overheard Wesley say it to Skylar. The words that Skylar heard them all saying in regards to America varied from excitement over being in the New World and the thoughts about making a new life, to some saying when’s the soonest they can get on a ship back to Scotland.  
The group of Georgia citizens led them to a tavern in the town they came to learn was Savannah. They bought the storm survivors different foods such as breads, cheese, and even some beef; as well as beverages like ale, milk and coffee.   
Skylar sat at a table with Ian, Fergus and Marsali. She was angry because her worry over not knowing anything about Jamie and Claire’s whereabouts made her stomach hate the idea of food, and after months of not being able to eat due to her absolute horrific anxiety over Ian, all she wanted to do was be able to eat again.   
“Why aren’t ye eatin’, Yank?” Ian asked her. “Ye’ve got te be starvin’.”  
“I’m pretty sure that if I try to eat anything before I know where Jamie and Claire are, it’ll just come right back up,” she said.   
“Skylar, no,” Fergus responded, very firmly. “You are not continuing this a moment longer. You need to eat something, now.” He stared at her intensely, not looking away until she picked up a piece of the bread and started taking small bites.  
“If I throw up, I’m aiming it at you,” she told him.  
After everyone had finished eating and were feeling a bit recovered, the tavern door opened again, and Skylar gasped loudly as Jamie and Claire walked in. She was the first one to jump up and run to them, crashing into Jamie first and then hugging Claire, her arms securely wrapped around her. When Skylar allowed them to move again, they made their way through the crowd. Everyone was more than happy and relieved to see them safe and alive. They joined their son, daughter-in-law and nephew at the table with each one welcoming them the same way Skylar had.   
Before they sat down to relax, Jamie made a speech to the men of the Artemis that they were all released from his service and were free to do as they liked regarding staying in America or returning to Scotland. He assured them that they would all still be getting paid for their work. This included Lesley and Hayes, but the two said that they would be sticking with Jamie for whatever course of action he chose.   
As Jamie and Claire ate and drank, their small group discussed what their plan would be. It was decided that they would travel to North Carolina and find passage back to Scotland from there. That way, they could also visit Jamie’s Aunt Jocasta who may be able to help provide them with any needed funds or goods for their journey home. At everyone’s surprise at hearing he had a relative living in the Colonies, Jamie explained that she and her husband had fled Scotland to America after Culloden and had been able to make a good life for themselves and were well off.  
After spending the rest of the day using the gems Ian had taken from Geillis’ cave to buy food and some extra items of clothing to replace those lost in the shipwreck, they returned to the tavern where they would be spending the night.  
The people that had helped them chipped in to pay for some rooms for a couple nights, for which they were all exceedingly grateful. The rooms were attached to the dining room, and each one had two beds and a dresser. Jamie and Claire slept in one room, and Fergus and Marsali in another. Jamie had decided that Ian would stay with himself and Claire while Skylar would be in Fergus’ room. But the teenagers argued that they should be allowed to room together, reminding him that they had been separated for months and didn’t want to be for another minute. Jamie understood what they were saying, knowing far too well the feeling of thinking you might die if you couldn’t be around with the one you love. So, he relented and allowed them to stay in the same room; under the condition that Hayes and Lesley share the room as well. Neither pair was happy about the deal, but they all went along with it.   
That night, Skylar and Ian were in one bed while Hayes took the other and Lesley was on the floor, having lost a coin flip.  
“Just ken ye two,” Lesley said to the younger couple before they all went to sleep, “I have the ears of a bat. So if ye try anythin’, I’ll hear it and Mac Dubh will have yer head, lad.”  
Back in Edinburgh, when Jamie began to grow suspicious of Skylar and Ian’s relationship and gave them warning after warning about being alone together, he would always direct his glare to his nephew, inherently putting the blame on Ian if anything were to happen between them. And it was the same now, though tenfold.   
Though the temptation was absolutely there, they didn’t feel the need to do anything that everyone was assuming they were going to do. They just laid in the bed, facing each other. They kissed sweetly and lovingly for a while, but they were just relishing being with each other, and having their other half back.  
They just stared at each other until their eyes got heavy, and then fell asleep in each other’s arms. 

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Ian’s eyes shot open. He was breathing heavily and was soaked with sweat. He looked around, recognizing that he was in a tavern in Georgia, not in Jamaica with Geillis like his dream made him believe. The room was near pitch black, so the sun was still many hours away from rising.  
Not wanting to go back to sleep out of fear the same dream would continue, he carefully sat up, careful not to wake Skylar who was still asleep next to him, and walked out to the dining room. He sat on the couch facing the fireplace, whose bright orange flames from that afternoon had died down into small flickering embers. He put his face in his hands and took some deep breaths. He didn’t want to remember. But he couldn’t help it. The images just came, even when he didn’t want them too. He sniffed, forcing himself not to cry.   
“Ian?” His head whipped around, but he relaxed when he saw it was Skylar.  
“Why are ye awake?”  
“I could ask you the same thing.” She walked to the couch and sat next to him. “Are you okay?”  
“Aye, I’m fine, Yank. Just couldna sleep. Ye dinna need te worry. Go back te bed.”  
“Well, you know I’m not going to do that,” she told him plainly. “So, you may as well talk to me.” She took one of his hands and held it on her knee.   
He was quiet for a long beat, wondering if he really should tell her out of fear she might think less of him. She waited as long as he needed. He would start when he was ready.   
“I had a nightmare,” he finally told her. “Except, it wasn’t. It was a memory, really, playing out.” He paused, not sure if he wanted to go on. She didn’t say anything. She just held his hand, waiting to see if he would continue. He did. “It was a memory of…her. And what she did te me.” Skylar knew exactly who he meant.   
She moved in closer to him. Still holding his hand, she looped her other arm through his and rested her chin on his shoulder.   
“Geillis is dead, Ian,” she reminded him. “She can’t hurt you. You’re safe.”  
“I ken. I ken she’s gone. But when I close me eyes, it’s like I’m back there.” He stopped talking. He didn’t want to tell her everything of what had happened. He didn’t want her to leave him after he just got her. He was so ashamed of what he went through, how could she not be as well?. Feeling his distress, her grip on his arm and hand tightened, letting him know she was there.   
He shut his eyes tight, willing himself not to let any tears fall and to keep a straight face. He didn’t want her to think he wasn’t strong or was less of a man who couldn’t control his emotions. He was practically shaking from how hard he was fighting them off. She saw this and knew what he was doing.   
“Hey,” she said very softly. She let go of his hand to turn his face to her. “You do not have to be brave for me. I don’t know all the details of what happened, and you do not have to tell me anything until you’re ready. But I do know that what you went through must’ve been unthinkable. It must’ve been terrifying. You’re allowed to feel that. You never need to hide emotions from me, ever. Okay? I am here for you. Whatever you need, whenever you need it. I’m not going anywhere.” She leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips, brushing away some of the tears that he couldn’t stop from breaking through.   
“What did I ever do te deserve someone as incredible as ye?”   
She pushed some pieces of loose hair behind his ear and replied, “Probably something similar to whatever I did to deserve you.” She smiled at him.  
This time, he kissed her first. They pulled apart, barely an inch, then met again.   
They went on for a few seconds until Skylar pulled back and said, “Do you hear that?”  
He listened carefully, but he didn’t hear anything. “Hear what?” he asked, confused.  
She smiled. “Exactly. Everyone is asleep. No Jamie, no Fergus or anyone to keep watch over us.”  
He understood what she meant and returned her grin before connecting their mouths again. They let their kiss get deeper and more passionate quickly. They weren’t planning on doing anything past making out, but they recognized that just getting opportunities to be alone like this were going to be few and far between. So they allowed themselves to fully enjoy this moment.   
As their kiss went on, Skylar moved to sitting on Ian’s lap, which he very much did not mind.   
They continued for a few more minutes when they heard, “Ahehem!” behind them. They pulled their faces apart, startled at the noise, and looked to see who it was. There was Fergus standing a little ways away.   
Skylar groaned and let her head fall on Ian’s shoulder. She looked back up and said to him, as he came towards them, “You are married now, mon frère. Shouldn’t you spend your time, oh I don’t know, being with your wife?” She was obviously not happy about the interruption.   
He sat down in the chair next to them. “My wife, ma soeur, is asleep. I, on the other hand could not. So I came out here. I did not mean to find you two. Though I am glad I did since Milord does not want you alone together.”  
She pushed herself off Ian and sat back next to him. “You’re really annoying, you know that? Also, you were the one basically begging us to be together, remember? So, you really should not be the one to try to stop us from doing stuff.”  
“And what kind of ‘stuff’ am I stopping?” He looked directly at Ian for that question. Ian suddenly felt nervous, like he was in trouble. “Sky?” Fergus went on. “Would you be my favorite person in the world and get me some water? I am very thirsty.”  
“Wow, I’m your favorite person in the world? Can’t wait to tell Marsali.” Fergus just looked at her. She rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She stood up and started for the kitchen. Passing Fergus, she paused and whispered, “Be nice,” knowing what this was really about. And she went on, leaving the two young men alone.   
Ian was extremely nervous now. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Fergus, one of his closest friends, as he was feeling a little afraid of him.   
“Ian,” Fergus started. Ian made himself look at him. “You and I have known each other for a long time, aye? You are one of my dearest friends and I know that you would never do wrong to anyone. You also know that no one is happier than I am that the two of you have finally come together. I must tell you though, I love Skylar as if she were my own sister with my own blood. So,” he leaned forward in his seat, not breaking eye contact, “if I hear that it has come to pass that you have hurt her in any way, or are trying to make her do things she does not want to do, I will not hesitate to…act on her behalf, if you understand what I mean.”  
Being afraid of Fergus was something very new to Ian. He had never seen this side of him before, nor did he want to ever again. But he knew this came with the territory of courting his sister. Fergus had been rooting for them since the day they met and had been wanting them to be together more than anyone, second only to Skylar and Ian themselves. But now that Ian was actually with her, it was a completely different story and Fergus needed to take on the role of the protective older brother.   
Ian straightened his back as much as he could and responded, looking him in the eye, “I love Skylar, Fergus. I love her more than I ever thought I could love anything in this world. I would rather pain be inflicted upon me before she were te go through any. Ye ken I will never hurt her, ever. Ye have me word on that. I will do everythin’ I can te make sure nothin’ bad ever comes te her.”  
Fergus gave a slight smirky smile and sat back up. “Very well,” he said. “I have your word and you have mine.”  
Skylar came back out holding the cup of water. She handed it to Fergus and sat back down next to Ian.   
She looked back and forth between them and joked, “So, did you decide how many goats I’m worth?”


	24. Listen To Him

They spent almost a week in Georgia to allow themselves to recuperate after the shipwreck. They then began their trek up to North Carolina.  
Though Jamie and Claire told them that they had done more than enough for them all already, Joseph Oliver and his family persisted in giving them some more provisions that they would need for their travels. They ended up giving them a wagon, 2 horses, some extra food and clothes, as well as a good bit of money. Jamie gave them one of their larger gems in exchange to thank them.   
With some of the money from the Olivers as well as a couple of the smaller gems, they were able to buy one more horse. As they traveled, Jamie and Claire drove the wagon, Ian and Fergus both were on horseback, Lesley and Hayes switched off with one being on the third horse and the other in the wagon, Marsali rode in the wagon, and Skylar went back and forth from being in the wagon to riding with Ian.   
As they went on, Skylar would look around and be in awe that this was the country where she had been born and grown up in, though 250 years in the future. In the 21st Century, other than when she was taught about it in school, she never really thought about how America had a time before it was truly America. And now here she was, riding through what would become the southern states in the pre-Revolutionary War era.  
 _I kinda wish we didn’t have to go back to Scotland,_ she thought. _It would be so amazing to actually see us get our freedom from England._  
Each day, the group would go on for as long as they could, and then they would find a place to camp for the night. Though sometimes if they passed through a small town, they would find a cheap tavern to sleep in. Whenever they did this, Jamie would find the nearest pub and play cards with the locals in order to secure them more money. And being very cunning and clever with cards, he always managed to win a hefty amount. Ian tried to convince Jamie to let him take part in card games as well, but his uncle always sent him away, not wanting him to get taken up with gambling. But when he wasn’t able to join Jamie, it just meant he and Skylar could be with each other; which, of course, neither had any complaints about.   
Skylar and Ian were spending every waking moment together. They spent the days almost permanently at each other’s sides and always seemed to be touching in some way, be it holding hands, having their arms around each other, or sitting so close they were nearly on top of one another. Then at night, they always fell asleep holding each other. They felt they needed to make up for lost time, not just from having been kept apart unwillingly for months, but also for the amount of time they had wasted claiming again and again they were just friends with nothing more between them.   
They tried to find opportunities when they would sneak away from everyone else to be alone; not to do anything, but just to be together without being under Jamie’s watchful eye. But Jamie would always find them almost straightaway and drag Ian to help him with something he very clearly did not need help with.  
It was definitely annoying whenever Jamie, or Fergus as well, would try to separate them to “protect Skylar’s virtue” whenever they were caught kissing beyond a chaste peck. But they didn’t let it bother them. Finally being together, they both felt the happiest they had ever been. Every day that went by, they fell even more in love with each other.  
Unfortunately though, there were some moments they had during their journey north that weren’t as blissful. Not every night, but close to it, Ian would wake up in the middle of the night from terrible nightmares. Skylar would wake up when he did and would see him shaking and very obviously upset. He didn’t tell her any details of the nightmares and she wouldn’t ask, though she had a general idea of what they were about. She would just hold him close to her and do what she could to comfort him until he was able to fall back asleep. She would sing to him sometimes, as that always relaxed him. She would sing Lavender’s Blue, since that was his favorite, and also You Are My Sunshine, another that her mother would sing to her when she was little. Her mom would also sing it during her last few months.   
All in all, the two months they were on the road to North Carolina were relatively uneventful, which they all welcomed heartily. The most exciting thing that happened was when Ian came to understand what a period truly was.   
They had camped in a small opening in the woods one night. In the early hours of the morning, Skylar woke up and felt something was off. She moved slightly and realized she was wet with something.   
_Oh no. No no no. Please no. Not now,_ she thought, right away knowing what it was. She looked under the blanket and lifted her dress skirt. She inwardly groaned when she saw her shift was stained with red.  
 _Fuck. Seriously?_  
She knew she needed to take care of this now, before everyone else woke up. She looked over at Ian to make sure he was still sleeping, and carefully stood up. As silently as she could, she grabbed a few rags that she and Marsali each had, and an extra dress and shift, then made her way to the river they had found the day before that was just a two minute walk away.   
She first cleaned herself off and, when she was dry enough, she wrapped one of the rags around herself so that there would be something to soak up the blood and put on the fresh shift and dress.  
 _I never thought that there would be a time in my life where I would miss tampons,_ she thought as she scrubbed the thin piece of clothing in the river water, trying to get as much of the stain out as she could. Not much had gotten onto her actual dress, so that was easy to take care of.  
She had always been pretty irregular when it came to her cycle. She was never one of those girls who could tell you the exact date and time down to the hour and minute she would get it. It never started on the same day and there had even been times where she would skip a month. She had really been hoping her next one wouldn’t happen until they reached North Carolina. But, of course, she had been wrong.  
When she had first arrived in the 18th Century, her period hadn’t even crossed her mind. But when the day came, she had no idea what to do. She had been living only with Jamie and Fergus and there had been no way in hell she was going to ask them for help with this. She ended up having to go to Madam Jeanne for help, her being the only woman some way in her life at the time. She told Skylar about the rags, and let her come to her business to wash her clothes when she had to.   
Then, on the Artemis, it had been even more difficult. She was so thankful she had Claire and Marsali to help, Marsali going through it each month as well. But being able to find ways to clean their clothes and rags surrounded by dozens of men was a challenge. The two ended up syncing during the sea voyage, and so when their times came, they would volunteer to help with the ship’s laundry for that week to discreetly do their own.   
As she finished washing, she didn’t hear Ian come up behind her.   
“There ye are, Sky,” he said, sighing in relief. She turned her head to him, not thinking about what she was currently doing. “I woke up and ye were gone. I thought that ye-” He stopped when she wrung her shift and red water ran from it, and he saw the remaining blood when she put it on the ground. His eyes went wide in fear and he started to freak out. “Skylar, what happened?! Are ye hurt?! Did something’ attack ye?! This is why ye canna go out on yer own! We need te get ye te Auntie Claire! She can help te-”  
“Ian! Calm down!” she exclaimed. He had never been around her when she was on her period during his time in Edinburgh, and obviously never saw her on the Artemis. But she was so confused how he could possibly not know what was going on. “You have four sisters, Youngin’. How have you never seen a girl on her period?”  
“A period? What the hell is-” He paused, and looked between the now faint red stain and Skylar, how she was looking at him like, ‘do you understand now?’ “Oh.” His face flushed, blatantly uncomfortable. “It’s just yer…courses?”  
“Yes.” She made a mental note that her time of the month was called her courses in this century, not her period.   
“Well, that-that’s good, that yer not hurt, I mean.” Skylar couldn’t help but laugh at how awkward he was acting.  
 _God, men really can’t talk about these things in any century, can they?_  
“It’s not something that exactly gets talked about in a household, ye ken. I-I know what it is, I’ve just never…seen it,” he explained.   
She folded her still wet shift and dress, and held them under her arm as she stood up.  
“Welcome to actually knowing a girl, Ian. You’re going to learn so much.” She smiled at him and walked past him, heading back to camp. He caught up with her and walked beside her, taking her hand, trying to move past that awkward moment as quickly as possible.   
When they showed up back at their site, everyone else was awake and packing up their things. Jamie saw them first, and, having already been worried when he noticed they weren’t there when he woke up, he immediately became suspicious.   
“Where were ye two off at?” he asked them, sending a warning look directed, as usual, more towards Ian than Skylar.  
“Don’t worry, Jamie. I was the one who walked off. He was just looking for me,” Skylar told him.   
“And where were ye then?”  
She hesitated for a second, then answered, “Just…had to do some washing.” She glanced subtly at Claire and Marsali, who instantly knew what she meant.   
As she collected her things, Claire brought her one of the blankets to wrap the shift and dress in to hide them.  
“Thank you,” Skylar whispered. Claire smiled in response.   
They then continued on their way.   
After another couple days of traveling and Skylar riding with Ian, either holding onto him or Ian sitting behind her holding the reins, Jamie came up to her and said, “It’s time ye learn how te ride a horse, lass. Ye canna hold onte Ian ferever.”  
“I dinna mind, Uncle,” Ian said as he took some of the packs off of the horse he and Skylar had just dismounted.  
Jamie gave him a hard, knowing look. “I ken verra well ye don’t, lad. But she needs te ken how te fer herself.” He looked back at her and went on, “If it ever happened that ye were in danger and none of us were around, bein’ able te ride may be the difference between survin’ and not.”  
So, for a couple hours every day for the next week or so, Jamie would give her riding lessons. Skylar was already comfortable with being on a horse in general, and getting on and off. It was the actual riding of one by herself that was more complicated. Jamie would explain to her what she needed to do: squeeze the horse’s sides with her legs to get it to walk, how to use the reins and her body to direct it, and using the reins to get the horse to stop. She would try to do it, but seemed to get something wrong each time.   
She would squeeze the horse and it wouldn’t move, or she would somehow signal it to go faster than she wanted and Jamie had to pull it back. She thought she would be telling it to go left but would end up going right, and she would start just going in circles. She was also having a lot of issues with her position on the horse. Jamie had to keep reminding her to keep her back straight, saying that there should be a straight line from her ear through her shoulder and hip down to her heel, which needed to be settled directly under her hip. Her legs kept pointing out, and Jamie pushed them in whenever he noticed.   
After three days of barely making any sort of progress, Skylar voiced that it was pointless and Jamie was just wasting his time.  
“Ye dinna learn how te ride overnight,” he told her. “It takes practice, like wi’ everythin’ else. Ye’ll get this, I ken it. Now, again.”  
After a full week of lessons, she was finally getting the hang of it. The horse would move and stop when she wanted it to, and she got it to go in the right direction. As she got better, Jamie started having Ian or Fergus sit in the wagon while they traveled on to allow Skylar to practice for real. And by the time they arrived to North Caroline, it was like she had been riding a horse her whole life.   
She was a little sad when Jamie told her that she was competent enough at riding that he didn’t need to teach anymore. With her dad having left when she was so little, she never had the experience of a father teaching his daughter important life skills. So Jamie teaching her how to ride a horse replaced, in her mind, being taught how to drive a car; and she honestly liked this so much better.   
Jamie had very much enjoyed the lessons as well. Having missed out on the opportunity of teaching Brianna to ride, he wanted to do everything he could to help this young girl, who he had come so quickly to truly care for and love as his own, survive in this world. And successfully instilling this skill in her gave him the sense of paternal pride he thought he would never have.   
They arrived in the town of Wilmington in late May. The town wasn’t that different from Savannah, Georgia. There were buildings all connected one to the other and made of brick or wood and painted different colors like yellows or blues. Vendors had small shops set up where they sold various foods and goods. Businesses such as barbers, black and silversmiths, taverns, and pubs were everywhere you looked. It wasn’t as packed with people as Edinburgh, but there were still crowds gathered in the streets.   
The group took up in a tavern called The Willow Tree for the time being. Jamie started to make inquiries about ships that were headed for Scotland, but was told that nothing was going that way until mid-June. So, they bided their time and were getting along well in the town.   
Skylar was really liking Wilmington. She thought it was kind of similar to Plimoth Plantation, where she had been on many field trips to in elementary school. It was fascinating to see how early Americans made lives for themselves in the New World. It was funny, in a darker comedy kind of way, to think that none of them knew what was coming. That in less than 10 years there would be one of the most important wars of American history and change the world as everyone knew it.   
Skylar also enjoyed watching how Ian reacted to this new place. Every time he learned something new about the country, be it about animals he had never heard of, foods that were foreign to him, or anything about the Native Americans that lived more in the backcountry, his face would light up and he would ask a million questions. And she absolutely loved it when he would ask her if she knew certain things that he had heard, since she was American. She would give him answers as best she could, and he would listen to every word and take it all in like she was teaching him in a class. He was overjoyed to be here and whenever their plans to go home were brought up, he would get noticeably quiet and disheartened.   
However, as they were embracing Wilmington and were starting to get comfortable there, a terrible tragedy struck that none of them could ever have foreseen.  
During their early weeks in North Carolina, Hayes had met a woman while at a pub one night and had quickly become infatuated with her. As he spent more time with her, Lesley and Jamie warned him to be careful. He did not know this woman and had no what she could be hiding. Hayes ignored them and stayed with her. One horrible day, the woman’s husband caught them together. He attacked Hayes with a pitchfork and Hayes, in self-defense, kicked the man down a set of stairs, killing him. Hayes was arrested and tried. He was found guilty and sentenced to hang. Everyone had been at the trial, including Skylar. When she heard the verdict, she stood up and screamed, “NO!” She tried to run after her friend who was being led out of the courthouse, but Ian stopped her and pulled her into him as she continued to scream and sob hysterically.   
The next day, she went to see Hayes in the jail he was being kept in. She looked at some of the other prisoners in cells as she passed them, some of them not much older than she was.   
As she stood outside of Hayes’ cell waiting for the guard to let her in, she felt someone watching her. She looked over her shoulder and saw a young man in the cell behind her staring intensely at her. Something about his look made a shiver go down her spine, but she couldn’t look away from him; it was like he had her in a trance. She snapped forward when the guard came out to bring her into see Hayes’. She forced a friendly smile on her face and walked in.   
She knelt in front of him and gave him some whiskey that she told him she had flirted her way into getting and he chuckled at that. Seeing him right now, all Skylar wanted to do was cry. But she held back her tears. She had to put on a strong front for him. She didn’t want to make him any more afraid or sad than he already was.   
They just talked, remembering Edinburgh and the printshop and that little asshole Geordie.   
At one point though, Hayes got quiet and said, “Ye must promise me somethin’, Skylar.”  
“Anything.”  
“Dinna come tomorrow.”  
She blinked, not understanding what he meant. “What?”  
“Do not come te see me sentence carried out. Ye must promise me ye won’t.”  
She stared at him, in complete shock. “Don’t…no. No! I can’t do that! I won’t!”  
“Ye can and ye must.” He took her hands in his that were cuffed with iron shackles. “Lass, ye’ve been such a kind friend te me since ye arrived te us. A better friend than I ever deserved. And I want yer last memory’a me te be a good one. Somethin’ pleasant. I will no have ye rememberin’ me hangin’ from a rope. Will ye do that fer me, Sky? Grant my final wish?”  
She was now openly crying, not holding it in anymore.   
“Your time is up, Miss,” the guard told her.  
“Another minute! Please!” she shot back. He gave a single sad nod, and walked back out.  
She looked back to her friend. His face was begging her to agree to his request. It broke her heart but she needed to honor it.  
“Okay,” she said softly. “I promise. I…I won’t come.”  
He gave her a small smile. “Thank ye, lass.”  
And she kept her promise.   
The next day, she stayed at the tavern while Jamie, Claire, Lesley and Fergus went to witness the tragic event. Ian and Marsali stayed behind as well. Marsali, not feeling well, kept herself in her and Fergus’ room. Ian was with Skylar, wanting nothing more than to comfort her and make her feel okay.  
They were on their bed. Ian was sitting up with Skylar lying down with her head in his lap. He stroked her hair continuously as she sobbed. It tore him apart to see her in so much pain. He wanted only to take it from her and put it on himself.   
He knew this was something small, but she did it to comfort him when he was upset, so he wanted to try to use it for her.  
“Ye are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Ye make me happy when skies are gray. Ye’ll never know dear, how much I love ye. Please don’t take my sunshine away.”  
Her sobs quieted slightly at the song. She took the hand that was playing with her hair in her own and held onto it tight. That’s when they heard the drums start. She let out a large sob and squeezed his hand hard. He flinched at some quick pain, but he didn’t mind it at all. He just sang it again.  
“Ye are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Ye make me happy when skies are gray. Ye’ll never know dear, how much I love ye. Please don’t take my sunshine away.”  
They heard a rousing cheer from the crowd outside and they knew it was over. Skylar stopped crying. She inhaled sharply and didn’t let it out. Her body felt cold and numb. She couldn’t move, speak, breathe or think. For a moment, she thought she had died.  
But then she felt Ian lift her and bring her to sitting on his lap. She curled her body into his and he just held her, rocking them back and forth.   
She wasn’t making any noises akin to crying, but tears flowed freely down her face. She could hear and feel Ian’s heartbeat and tried to focus fully on it to distract her mind.  
They didn’t move from this position until Jamie walked in. Skylar didn’t look up when he spoke, but Ian did. He could see how heartbroken and hurt his uncle was.  
All he said to them was, “Come meet us in the dinin’ room.” Ian nodded and Jamie walked out.  
Gently, Ian lifted Skylar to sitting up, still on him. Her face was ghostly white and she was looking at the floor. She had some remaining tears left on her cheeks which he tenderly wiped away.  
“Let’s join the others, aye?” he said delicately, tucking her hair behind her ear. She nodded slowly. She turned her eyes to him and saw him looking at her with such love and care, it helped to calm her down. He gave a long kiss to her shoulder, then helped her stand up. He took her hand and they went into the dining room of the tavern.   
They all sat at a table as they waited for Fergus and Lesley. Skylar hadn’t let go of Ian’s hand since they left their room, and he was absolutely fine with that. They started talking about their plans to return to Scotland.  
“I spoke with the harbormaster,” Jamie said. The Campagnias sets sail fer home in three weeks, allowin’ us time te visit my Aunt Jocasta at River Run.”   
It seemed like Claire was going to say something when Marsali interrupted with, “Fergus?”  
They all looked up as they saw him and Lesley walk in and join them.   
“Did you speak with the minister?” Claire asked them.  
“Thievin’ wretch,” was all Lesley answered with.  
“He will not have a convicted felon in his graveyard. Not without a good deal of recompense for his sins,” Fergus added.  
“An immoral wretch as well. He’s willin’ te take a bribe,” Jamie commented.   
“That’s such bullshit,” Skylar spat. “A good man who was wrongfully executed for, what, defending himself isn’t allowed a proper burial? How dare this piece of shit call himself a priest?” She could feel herself starting to cry again but she held it back. She just grit her teeth and exhaled angrily through her nose.   
Not knowing what to say, except that she was right, Ian kissed her hand affectionately.  
“Did ye bring Hayes?” Jamie asked.  
“Aye. He’s in our wagon,” Lesley told him.   
“We could bury him in the wood,” Ian suggested.   
“No. No, Gavin wouldna care fer bein’ alone in the woods,” Jamie replied.   
“He was mortally scared of spirits,” Lesley added. “D’ye recall, Mac Dubh, at Ardsmuir, how he told us of the tannasghe he encountered?” The two men laughed softly at the memory.  
Everyone was quiet for a minute, remembering their friend and not believing he was actually gone. Skylar’s guilt over not being there for his last moments was eating her alive. She kept telling herself that he told her to stay away, he didn’t want her to see him like that. She had done what he wanted. But part of her still wished she had gone anyway. She felt a squeeze on her hand and she looked over. She saw Ian giving her a kind smile. He could obviously tell she was distressed and wanted to help her in any way he could. She was so grateful to have him with her. She rested her head on his shoulder and he dropped her hand, which she laid on his knee, to put his arm around her.  
“We’ll not lay him in unconsecrated ground,” Jamie decided. “We’ll lay him to rest tonight, in the company of other souls.”  
“It’s a good idea,” Claire agreed, touching his arm with compassion.  
Marsali then spoke up with, “I’m verra tired.”  
“Might I take her up to her room to rest?” Fergus asked Jamie.  
“Aye, we’ll manage wi’out ye,” he said.   
“Are you alright, Marsali? You’ve been sick for a while,” Skylar questioned, raising her head.  
“Aye, I’m fine, I promise ye. Just a little, uh, nauseas recently,” she explained. Skylar saw her and Fergus exchange a quick glance, like they knew something no one else did. Whatever it was though, they weren’t going to say and Skylar was in no mood to push.  
Lesley started talking again before they could stand up to go. “A man such as Hayes should never have met wi’ such an end. Without so much as a proper lament sung fer him. Well, he shall have a caithris.”  
He took a breath in and started singing.  
“Och nan och thas sinn fo mhulad. Dh’fhag thu Gabhain sin fo leon. Mac Sheumais Mac Louisa dh’fhag thu ‘n tait rinn d’arach og.”  
The others, minus Claire and Skylar, joined in for what seemed to be the chorus.  
“Eisd ris eisd ris Dh’fhag thu ganhainn sinn fo bhron. Eisd ris eisd ris. ‘S truagh nach eil thu fhathast gle og.”  
As the song went on and the other patrons in the pub started to join in as well, Skylar let her tears fall. She didn’t understand a word of what they were singing, but hearing them sing it with such passion and sentiment and an unwavering love and respect for Gavin Hayes, it almost made her feel happy to hear it. Though she couldn’t participate in the song, listening to it gave her catharsis and some sense of closure.   
_This is exactly how Gavin wanted us to think of him, with joy and comradery._


	25. Something Below the Surface

When it got to be dark, the group rode out to the graveyard. Skylar sat in between Ian and Lesley as they drove the wagon with Hayes in the back, while Jamie and Claire followed them on horses.   
They stopped a bit down the road from the church to keep out of sight.  
“Lesley, stay here with Claire and Skylar. Watch over Hayes,” Jamie instructed as he got off the horse. “Ian and I will find a good place.”  
“Won’t you need a headstone?” Claire asked. “Surely they’ll notice a newly dug grave.”  
“Aye, they might. I shouldna think the minister would trouble himself to dig him up fer nothin’.”  
Jamie grabbed one of the shovels and started off. Ian jumped down from his seat and took the other one.   
He turned back to Skylar before he left and said, “Ye’ll stay by the wagon, aye? Please dinna leave this spot. It’s dark and dangerous and we dinna ken who-”   
“I’m not going anywhere. You don’t have to worry about me.”  
“I dinna think that’s possible.” She gave him a small smile and he left to follow Jamie.   
She watched him go until both of the men faded into the blackness. She let out a sigh and got down. She stood next to Claire, leaning against the wagon.   
“He says he’s the one worried about me. Funny.”  
“Has he told you anything more about what happened in Jamaica?” Claire asked.  
She shook her head. “He won’t say anything and it’s killing me. There have been stretches where it doesn’t happen, but when we were first in Georgia and making our way up here, he would wake up all the time from terrible nightmares. And seeing him in such fear it…it rips my heart out. I know Geillis did something to him, I don’t know if she tortured him or…I don’t know. I just wish he would tell me. I want to help him. I can’t handle seeing him in pain.”  
“Jamie once told me that he could bear pain himself, but he couldn’t bear mine. And then when he was the one suffering horribly after surviving something truly horrific, I understood what he meant. When all I could do was watch my husband practically deteriorate in front of me, it nearly killed me. But, he finally opened up to me about what he went through and I was able to help him start to heal.”  
“How long did it take before he told you?”  
“Too long. He apparently thought that if I knew the truth, I wouldn’t want him anymore. He was too scared of the risk of losing my love.”  
“Ian wouldn’t think that. No, he knows there’s nothing he could ever do that would make me not love him.”  
“I thought Jamie felt that way too. But it was very hard to convince him of that.”  
“Men would rather chop their cock off with a dull blade and feed it te the chickens rather than say when they’re hurtin’ te anyone, let alone the woman they love,” Lesley spoke up. “Ye can take it from me and personal experience.”  
“But talking about what’s causing you to be so upset would help, and no one would think worse of you, especially if it’s the person you love,” Skylar debated.  
“I dinna ken what kind of men ye have where yer from, lass; if the American men here really are more open te that sort’a thing. But fer Scot men, Young Ian included, it’s all a matter of pride and not willin’ te show anythin’ that might be taken fer weakness.”  
“The men back home aren’t really different from the ones here when it comes to talking about their feelings,” she mumbled. Claire chuckled, knowing that statement to be very true.  
 _Guess no matter the century, boys will be boys and prefer to suffer internally,_ Skylar thought.   
After about 45 minutes, Skylar’s eyes were starting to close as she leaned against the wagon. After the absurd sleep schedule she had while on the Artemis, or lack thereof, she had been training herself to go to bed at a certain time every night for the few weeks they’d been in Wilmington to try to get back into somewhat of a normal sleeping routine; and right now it was well past her bedtime. But her eyes snapped open when she heard footsteps. Her head whipped around, but her body relaxed when she saw it was Ian and Jamie.   
Ian walked right to her and hugged her and she immediately wrapped her arms around him. When they separated, she looked at him and saw his eyes were puffy and there were clean lines going through the dirt on his cheeks.  
“Hey, are you okay?” she asked, taking his face with both hands.   
“Aye, I’m fine, love.” The tone of his voice couldn’t hide that he had been crying, and not gently.  
“Ian, plea-”  
He took her hands off him and held them. “Dinna fash, Yank. Ye needna be concerned.”   
“Lesley, let’s get on with it,” Jamie called out. Ian kissed her hands and left her to go help bring Hayes’ body out of the wagon.  
She absolutely did not believe him. Something had happened while they were digging the grave and, again, he was refusing to tell her anything.   
As she walked over to him, she thought, _Does he really think I won’t love him anymore? There’s no way. He can’t._   
“Life without Hayes just doesna seem right,” Lesley spoke as he loosened the tarp that was covering the back of the wagon.   
As he started to open it, a figure underneath the canvas sat up, making Skylar let out a scream. Ian pulled her behind him.  
“Ifrinn an Diabhail! A Dhia, thoir cobhair!” Lesley exclaimed.  
“Christ alive! Where did it come from?” Ian asked in a panic.  
“From Hell. May it return there at once!” Jamie took his shovel and used the handle of it to stab whatever had risen and made it collapse. He and Lesley went to take the canvas off and see what it was. Skylar held on tight to Ian’s arms, not wanting to actually see it.  
When the men saw what it was, Jamie announced the thing was, “Not from Hell. From the gallows.” It was a young man, probably mid 20s, who had snuck into their wagon at some point. Skylar breathed a sigh of relief and loosened her grip on Ian. When she saw the man’s face, she thought he looked familiar, but she couldn’t place from where.  
“My apologies fer frightin’ ye,” the man spoke. He was Irish.   
“Come,” Jamie ordered. He dragged the would be spirit out and onto the ground, then pushed him up against the stone wall next to them.   
“Who is he?” Skylar asked Lesley while Jamie interrogated the mystery man. She moved to put an arm around Ian’s waist and he put his arm around hers.   
“He was one of the prisoners meant te be hanged teday. He escaped,” he answered.  
Skylar realized where she had seen him. He had been in the jail with Hayes when she went to see him the day before and had been the one staring at her.   
“How long were ye in the wagon?” Jamie demanded to know.  
“Since midovernoon,” the prisoner told him. “I crawled up there once the Frog loaded up poor old Hayes. I was keepin’ him company, hopin’ that ye’d be leavin’ town and takin’ me with ye.” He looked at the rest of the group, his eyes staying on Skylar a few seconds too long, recognizing her as well.  
Skylar swallowed hard. She had the same chill now that she had when she saw this man in the jail. Something about him gave her a very uncomfortable feeling. She didn’t know why, but she wanted to be away from him as soon as possible. She put her other hand on Ian’s shoulder to try to feel more at ease.   
“Stephen Bonnet, sir,” he said, looking back to Jamie and giving his name.   
“Mr. Bonnet, fer what crime were ye condemned?” Jamie asked.   
“Thievin’, smugglin’, piracy,” he answered honestly.   
“And how many men have ye killed in commission of yer crimes, Mr. Bonnet?”  
“None that were not tryin’ te kill me first. Same as yer friend.”  
Jamie looked at him hard, then released him.   
“Alright. Ye can go.” He walked back to everyone else. “I’ll not hinder ye.”   
They all started back for the wagon to continue what they were doing when Bonnet stopped them.   
“Might I trouble ye fer conveyance?” he inquired, catching up with them. “There’ll be watchmen and soldiers out on the road tonight huntin’ me. Ye could take me safely past them te a creek with an outlet down to the sea. From there ye’ll be on yer way, free of the taint of my company.”  
Skylar could see Jamie and Claire thinking it over and considering it. She wanted to tell them not to do it, but she didn’t have a good reason. So she stayed silent.  
“I won’t bother ye again. Ye have me word,” Bonnet promised. They gave him no answer. “I’m beggin’ ye, sir. In the name of Gavin Hayes. He said ye’d never turn yer back on a friend.” Skylar’s grip on Ian tightened in anger hearing him say her friend’s name. She didn’t like it coming from his mouth. Ian looked at her, wondering if she was okay. But she didn’t see him. Her eyes were locked on the escaped criminal.   
It was quiet again for an uncomfortable amount of time. Jamie seemed unsure of trusting this man they had just met and Skylar was screaming in her head for him to say no. She didn’t know why she felt so afraid of Stephen Bonnet. Something in her gut just told her to be.   
Lesley looked at Jamie and said, “Fer a friend’a Gavin?”  
The redhaired man looked from his friend, to Claire and ended on Bonnet.  
“Alright,” he decided. “We’ll take ye.” Bonnet smiled widely.  
“I’ll go with you,” Claire stated. “Husband and wife will seem less suspicious.”  
“Fine. First, we lay Hayes to rest. After we’re done, ye three,” he nodded in Skylar, Ian and Lesley’s direction, “take the horses and return to the tavern. We’ll deliver Mr. Bonnet te safety.”  
“Thank ye,” Bonnet said, seeming completely sincere and grateful. “I’d only ask one more thing.”  
 _Are you shitting me?_ Skylar thought.  
“That ye’d allow me te help ye bury a friend,” he finished.  
Jamie, almost smiling, handed him a shovel. Bonnet nodded in appreciation.   
As Bonnet went to the front of the wagon to wait for the others, he accidentally bumped Skylar’s shoulder. Ian instantly pulled her closer to him.  
“My apologies, lass. I didn’t hurt ye, I hope?” he said to her.  
“I’m fine,” she told him, feeling her anxiety rising.  
He quickly looked her up and down, then turned to Ian. “Yer a lucky lad, havin’ such a lovely young lady on yer arm.” He winked at her, then continued on. She let out the breath she had been holding.  
“Are ye alright, Skylar?” Ian asked, facing her. He could feel her uneasiness.   
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She crossed her arms. “I just have a weird feeling about him. Something just doesn’t sit right with me. I don’t know, I’m probably just acting crazy. But I just don’t trust him.”  
“Well, we’ll never have te see him again. Ye needna worry about that.” He kissed her head then took her hand, the two of them following everyone else back to the cemetery. 

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Jamie and Claire didn’t come back that night after bringing Bonnet to wherever they had. None of their group was at all worried though. They knew it had been too late and dark for them to drive back into town and must’ve decided to camp for the night.  
“If I never have to sleep on the ground again, it’ll be too soon,” Skylar commented as they were getting ready for bed.  
She and Ian had shared their room with Lesley and Hayes. It felt so strange to sleep in it without Hayes. None of them mentioned it though. They had gotten the closure they needed burying him in the cemetery and they didn’t want pick at any wounds that hadn’t even started to heal.  
Lesley seemed to fall asleep almost immediately, though Skylar thought he was just pretending to. She and Ian kissed goodnight then they laid down, Skylar keeping a hand on his chest, and he with his arm around her.  
A few hours later, she was woken up by Ian tossing and turning.  
“Are you okay, Youngin’?” she asked very groggily, barely opening her eyes.   
“Stop. No. Please, no more,” she heard Ian say in his sleep. That woke her up immediately. “I dinna want this. Stop!”  
She sat up and started shaking him to try to wake him up.   
“Ian. Ian, wake up. You’re having a nightmare.”  
“I don’t, no. No!” he continued.  
“Ian, love, you need to wake up!”  
“Stop! Stop!!” He bolted upright. His eyes were wide open and scouring the room, looking for something that wasn’t there. “Where is she? Where did she go?”  
“She’s not here. You’re safe.” He snapped his head to her. He was breathing heavily and she could see beads of sweat on his forehead. She took his face securely in both hands and repeated, looking him directly in the eye, “You’re okay, my love. I’m here with you. No one is going to hurt you.”  
Looking at her, he felt his heartbeat start to slow and his breathing was returning to normal. He felt safe looking at her, which is why he didn’t stop himself from crying this time.   
Seeing him let his tears come, she brought his head down to her chest and held him and rocked him, as he had for her earlier that day. She didn’t say anything. She just let him cry.  
This was the worst night he’d had since coming back. He had had a lot nightmares, but he had never spoken out loud while they were happening, and she was scared that meant they were getting worse. She needed to know how to help him. She couldn’t watch him be tortured like this.  
He started to quiet. She continued to hold him to her as he wiped away the last of his tears.   
They stayed like this in silence for a few minutes, until Skylar said, “Ian, please talk to me. I want so badly to take your pain away. But I don’t know how to do that unless you talk to me.”  
“Ye willna look at me the same,” he told her, just above a whisper. “And I couldna bear that.”  
That made her heart hurt.  
 _Omigod, Claire was right._  
“Ian, can you look at me?” He slowly pushed himself to sitting and turned his face to her. She placed her hand on his leg. “You know there is absolutely nothing you could ever do that would make me not love you, right?” He lowered his eyes. “I love you, Ian. And that is for forever. You have to believe me. You can tell me anything and, I promise, it will not change how I feel about you. Please, my love. Tell me what’s going on.”  
“I thought tellin’ Uncle Jamie tonight would make me fine. And that the dreams would stop.”  
“When did you talk to Jamie?”  
“When we were diggin’ in the cemetery.” She took a silent breath.   
That’s why he wasn’t okay when he came back to the wagon.   
“When I saw the grave, memories came inte me head. And it…paralyzed me.”  
“Can you tell me about the memories?” He closed his eyes, still very wary of saying anything. “Ian, please. Seeing you like this, it-it’s destroying me. I know you’re scared to say it out loud to me, but I swear on my life, you will not lose my love. I want to help.”  
He took a few deep breaths, then started. “I thought she was goin’ te kill me. She told me she was goin’ te kill me. Part of me almost wishes she had.” That hit her like a punch, but she didn’t react. She just waited for him to continue. “When I was first brought te her, she said that she laid wi’ virgins, and then…disposed of them after. Why she did that I still dinna ken. But I told her I wasna one, that bein’ the truth. I was thinkin’ maybe it would get me out of there as she would have no use fer me. But I was wrong.” Skylar saw his fingers curl into a tight fist. She placed her hand over his fist to try to relax him. He looked at their hands and locked their fingers together. He didn’t look at her as he continued. He just stared at their hands. “She…after the first time…she kept me alive to use me as her whore. She made me…do things te her that I’d never known of, and she’d do similar te me.” His voice started to crack as he went on, and Skylar could see his eyes getting watery again. “I tried te fight her every time she called fer me. I told her that I didna want this, I wanted it te stop. But…but her servants, they would use different ways te make me give meself te her. I had started te wish she would just kill me and end it already.” He blinked and a couple tears fell down his face. Skylar felt like her heart was being ripped out as he spoke. She wanted to throw up at how upset and disgusted she was at what that woman did to him.  
“Ian,” she whispered delicately, trying not to let the shakiness of her breathing show. She raised his head to face her and just looked at him for a minute. She could see how deeply this had affected him. Just from talking about it, the light and shine in his eyes that made anyone around him feel happy had dimmed greatly. He was in so much pain. She could also see the worry he felt telling her this. “Why would you believe that you being forced to endure that would make me think any less of you?”  
“Because…because though I hated every second of it, my, uh…my…” He obviously felt uncomfortable getting out whatever it was he was trying to say. “It still felt good,” he ended with, looking back down. He took his hand from hers. “I tried te ignore it. I-I tried te imagine it bein’ painful so that I wouldn’t…” He stopped again, but Skylar knew how that sentence ended. “I couldna stop it. I feel so gross and wrong. How could I allow meself te do that? How could I not control it or stop it? I just gave her what she wanted.” He hated this. He hated telling her all of this. He felt horribly sick and he couldn’t look at her as he admitted everything. Though she was saying her feelings for him hadn’t changed, he found that impossible to believe. How could she still love him the same?   
Skylar swallowed back her own tears. Only one of them could be hurting right now, and it had to be him.   
“Love,” she said, having him look at her again, “that is not your fault. You can’t control your body like that. It doesn’t know the difference between being with someone you love and want, and rape.” Ian closed his eyes tight, more tears falling at hearing that word. She knew he still felt guilty and ashamed, and that he didn’t believe he wasn’t somehow to blame. Needing to get his attention to really make him hear her, she moved into him and straddled him. She held his face up towards hers, and he held onto her waist. She continued to speak but in a much firmer tone. “Listen to me, Ian Murray. You did nothing wrong. You were the one who was wronged. I almost wish that bitch was still alive just so I could kill her myself, slowly and painfully, for causing you so much suffering. You did what you had to do to survive. And I could never love you the smallest bit less for that. I love you even more for it. You are so damn strong and brave. You will get through this, and I will be right here to help you. I love you, and I will keep saying that until you actually believe it.” She kissed him hard to try to further prove it to him; and, after a moment of hesitation, he kissed her back. They grew more fervent as they went on, and when they pulled apart they were a little dizzy from the intensity of it. She kept her forehead against his and they stayed like that, not exchanging any sounds or words, for many minutes.   
When she could tell he had calmed down enough to try to sleep again, Skylar moved off him and they laid back down. She held him close to her and stroked his hair as he slowly drifted off. She watched him sleep for a while, hoping that talking to her had helped him in some way and that he no longer had any fear of losing her. She clenched her eyes tight and bit her lip as she finally allowed herself to silently react to what he had told her. 

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When Jamie and Claire came back the next morning, they told the others that they would be attending a dinner party that night hosted by William Tryon, the governor of North Carolina. They were hoping that one of his wealthy friends would buy their ruby, one of the last of their gems from Jamaica, in order to be able to pay for their voyage back to Scotland.  
While they were gone, Lesley went out on his own to “test out” the different pubs in the town, obviously trying to drown the pain he still felt over Hayes, and Skylar, Ian, Fergus and Marsali all hung out together.  
As they ate their own dinner, Skylar noticed Marsali was acting very off. Whatever food was in front of her made her gag and she couldn’t stomach any of it. She was also much more tired than usual and was holding her head like she had a constant headache.  
“Are you alright, Marsali?” Skylar asked her when Fergus and Ian got up to refill their drinks. “I’m really getting worried about you. You’ve been sick for well over a month now and you’re not getting any better.”  
Marsali chuckled at her sister-in-law’s concern. “Dinna fash, Sky. Ye truly have no reason te worry. I’m only goin’ te be feelin’ worse over the next few months.”  
“The next few months? What do you mean? Why would you be so sick for-” When she saw the way Marsali smiled at her, she figured it out. “Marsali, are you pregnant?” The girl in question pressed her lips together to keep her smile from spreading, which only confirmed it. “Omigod! What?!” Skylar shot up to standing and nearly knocked the other girl over as she hugged her. “This is incredible! Wait,” she pulled back, “you’re happy about this, right? Cause I know you said you wanted to wait on this, so I wanna make sure-”  
“I’m happy, Sky. I’m verra happy.”  
When the two men returned to the table, Skylar jumped onto Fergus, hugging him just as tightly as she had his wife.   
“What’s going on?” Fergus asked when she finally let go. “What’s happened?”  
“I can’t believe I’m going to have a little niece or nephew! This is so exciting!”   
Fergus looked past her to Marsali. “I thought we were going to tell everyone tomorrow.”  
“I’m sorry, I couldna help it,” Marsali replied, her huge smile not doing much for the sincerity of her apology. “Just act surprised tomorrow, the both’a ye, aye?”  
Skylar and Ian agreed, and spent the rest of their night celebrating the wonderful news.


	26. Lucky Number 12

When Skylar woke up the next morning, she sleepily rolled over and went to put her hand on Ian’s chest. She was surprised when her hand fell onto the blanket instead. She opened her eyes and saw he was already gone. She figured his excited restlessness had gotten the better of him and he had already joined the others.   
She forced herself from the bed, got dressed and brushed her hair. She walked into the dining room, looking for everyone else. Jamie and Claire had told them they were likely to stay the night at Governor Tryon’s mansion, so she was just looking to find Ian, Fergus, Marsali, and Lesley. She found two of them sitting at a table, each eating a bannock and drinking something that wouldn’t surprise her if it had been some sort of alcohol, even before 12:00.   
“Good morning,” she said to Fergus and Lesley as she sat at the table as well. They greeted her the same. “Where are the others?”  
“Marsali is still laying down. Her nausea is very bad today,” Fergus told her.  
“And Ian?”  
“Um, I’m not sure.”  
“I think he went out te walk fer a while,” Lesley added. But Skylar saw the awkward glance the men gave each other and she knew they were lying.  
“Where is he?” she asked again, her tone and face making it clear she knew they knew where he was and there was no use trying to get out of it.  
“He, um, he told us not te tell ye,” Lesley said. “He’s fine and safe, but he said ye wouldna like it.”  
“Well, now you absolutely have to tell me where he is.” She raised her eyebrows at the two as she stared them down, and they could tell she wasn’t going to give up.  
“He’s at the docks,” Fergus confessed.  
“Doing?”  
“He’s trying to win money to help us get home.”  
“He’s gambling? Please tell me you’re joking.” But the way Fergus and Lesley were trying to avoid her eye, it was obvious they were not. “Omigod. I’ll be back.” She pushed herself away from the table and left before either man could attempt to argue.   
While walking, she was thinking, _This is not good. He doesn’t know how to gamble! That’s why Jamie keeps telling him not to! If he ends up losing all the money with nothing else to bet…I need to find him before that happens._  
She knew she was at the docks when a near overwhelming smell of fish and low tide hit her. But she ignored it as she scoured the space trying to find Ian.   
_He knows that if he just leaves without telling me it’s gonna worry me out of my mind,_ she thought as she looked from face to face. Since Jamaica, all of their group, but Skylar especially, always made a point to know where Ian was at all times. She was glad he had at least told Fergus and Lesley where he was going, but for her not knowing where he was at this moment just brought her right back to the exhausting months on the Artemis.  
She started asking random people if they had seen a tall, skinny, pale boy with red-blonde hair. Almost everyone either said no or completely ignored her. At last, one man said yes. He had seen him go inside a small pub with a bunch of sailors. He pointed out the pub and she ran towards it, yelling “Thank you!” over her shoulder.  
She found Ian immediately. She had just walked through the door when she saw him get pushed to the floor by a man at least twice his age.   
“Ian!” she yelled. His head snapped to her, as did the other men at the table. Ian had some slight fear in his eyes at being caught. “What the hell is going on? What are you doing here? I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”  
He stood up and walked closer to her.   
“We need money, Yank,” he told her. “I’m just tryin’ te do me part te help with that.”  
“This is not the right way to do that. Jamie is going to kill you when he finds out. And from what I walked in on, you’re not doing very well.”  
“Yer mother come te take ye home, lad?” one of the men called to Ian, mocking him. “Get caught playin’ where ye aught not te be?” He and the others laughed.  
Skylar took Ian’s arm and tried to pull him out. “Let’s go.” But Ian pulled from her.  
“Let me try again. I have a good feelin’ about this next one.”  
“Youngin’, I don’t think-”  
“Skylar,” he interrupted, “I love ye with me whole soul, but I’m stayin’ a while longer. I’m no leavin’ til I win.”  
She crossed her arms and stared at him. She adored this boy devotedly and would do anything for him, but there were definitely times where she easily could strangle him; and this was one of them.   
“Fine,” she said, recognizing she had lost this argument. “But I swear to God, if you end up losing so badly that you get sold onto someone’s ship as crew, I am not chasing you to Jamaica again.”  
Ian just chuckled and kissed her cheek. “Wait fer me at the tavern wi’ the others. I willna be long.”  
She scoffed. “Yeah, yeah, okay. I’ll just leave you alone with these men who we have no idea who they are as you gamble away our money. Mmhm, sure.” He rolled his eyes in response with a grin, amused at her stubbornness, and went back to the table.  
As the men reset their dice game, Skylar looked around the room and found the one thing that made her being there better.  
“Dog!” she cried, and ran to the dog next to Ian’s game table. He looked like a larger version of a Huskey and his fur was a very light grey. She sat next to the dog and started petting and rubbing and scratching him. “Hi,” she spoke to him in a high pitched excited voice. “Oh my goodness, you’re so pretty. Such a good boy, yeah? I love you. I love you so much. I just met you, but I would die for you.”  
Ian smiled watching her love on the dog. “Yer lucky charm, is he?” he said to the man who had mocked him moments ago.  
The man looked at the dog then back at Ian. “I certainly don’t keep him fer his companionship. We’ll see how he fares at the dogfight this evenin’. I’ll likely skin him alive if he loses.”  
Like he understood what his master was saying, the dog let out a whine and put his paw on top of Skylar’s hand.  
“I won’t let him hurt you, don’t you worry, baby boy,” she whispered to him. She looked up when Ian knelt next to her and started to pet the dog as well.   
“Don’t think about feedin’ him,” the same man told him. “Hunger makes him fight more vigorously.”  
“If yer finished yammerin’, can we get on wi’ the game?” another man called out. They went on to start the next round without Ian.  
The dog obviously hadn’t experienced anything close to the kindness and affection Skylar and Ian were showing him. He nuzzled against them and kept pawing at them. Skylar couldn’t imagine having to leave him behind with the man who clearly abused him.  
“How can someone be so cruel to such a sweet creature?” she thought out loud. She kissed the dog’s head and he licked her face. “There has to be a way we can help him.” Ian looked back at his owner and something he saw made his eyes go wide. “What is it?” Skylar asked.  
“Maybe we can,” he said. “I have an idea.” He stood up and went back to his spot at the table, only making Skylar’s anxiety rise.  
He leaned onto the table, getting close to the man and said, “I’ll play ye fer yer dog.”  
“Ian, what are you-” Skylar started, but he put up his hand to stop her.  
“Ye have nothin’ te gamble with, save yer worthless life,” the man stated.  
The man sitting next to Ian could tell the teenager getting too involved with this sailor would only end badly. “This one’ll slit yer throat. I’ve seen him do it. Boy, ye don’t wanna risk it.”  
Skylar could tell he had no intentions of backing down, so she quickly went to him and said, “You do not have to risk yourself like this, Youngin’. Jamie can come and figure out a way to get the dog. Your pride has gotten you in danger before. Don’t let it happen again.”  
The man Ian was challenging seemed interested in seeing how far he could push him. “What’ll ye stake, eh? I’d gladly play ye fer an hour alone with yer bonny lassie here. From the looks of her, she hasna been touched by a man and would make fer a good time.” He slapped Skylar’s rear and laughed with his friends. Skylar stiffened at his action and wanted to slap him back across the face, but somehow was able to control herself. Ian found it more difficult to not act.  
He got in the man’s face and said through gritted teeth, ready to attack, “Ye dinna touch her or talk te her, or I swear I’ll gut ye clean.” Skylar jumped to pull Ian away from him, but she didn’t get far before he wrenched himself from her, still staring the man down. The sailor seemed entertained by Ian’s response.  
“I’ll wager 100 shillings. 5 pounds,” Ian offered, still seething but keeping his voice calm. He sat back down. “My uncle, he can pay. I swear it.”  
“Ian, we cannot lose that money. We need it to get home,” Skylar said from where she stood.  
“Yer uncle sent ye te town te buy a cow, did he?” the man said back to Ian. He looked at the others and went on, “That’s a right tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, aye lads? Enchanted beans are no good te me.”  
“I’ll get ye yer money if I lose,” Ian promised. “If ye lose, I get the money and the dog.”  
“Know that if ye can’t pay, he’s not lyin’,” gesturing to the one who gave Ian the warning. “I’ll open yer throat fer the world te see. And I’ll have yer lass fer more than just the hour. And me friends’ll get te enjoy her as well.” Skylar swallowed and glanced at the others around the table, all looking her over and giving her tasteless looks.  
“Ian, think about this,” she begged, coming behind him and putting her hands on his shoulders.   
“Fe fi fo fum, I smell the blood of a wee Scotsman,” another taunted. But Ian wasn’t put off. He was bound and determined to play the game.   
“Any last words?” the main man at the table said.  
Seeming confident, Ian looked at him and replied, “If I am te die teday, would ye grant me my dyin’ wish?”   
“And what might that be?”  
“Privilege of usin’ the dice of the man that is te kill me.” Looking him straight in the eye, Ian took the cup that held the man’s dice. His smirk dropped as he figured out what the young lad was up to. Skylar still didn’t understand, but seeing the man get nervous raised her hopes a little.  
He looked from Ian to the other sailors, and felt the pressure to accept. He took Ian’s original cup with his dice. Ian didn’t break eye contact as they shook their cups and slammed them on the table. The man lifted his first.  
“11,” one of his friends announced as the number he had rolled.  
Ian pretended to be impressed but then said, “The odds seem te be weighted in me favor. 12.” He lifted his cup and revealed that he had in fact rolled a 12 and won the game.  
Skylar let out the huge breath she had been holding and loosened her death grip on his shoulders.   
Not looking at Ian, the man simply said, “Take the wretched mongrel and the money, and go. Don’t let me see ye here again.”  
As Ian collected the money, Skylar went to the dog and took the rope that was tied around his neck and led him away.   
“Pleasure doin’ business with ye, lads,” Ian told the group, then joined Skylar outside.  
They stopped for a minute when they got out the door.  
“How did you know it would a be a 12?” she questioned, really curious.  
“He was cheatin’ with weighted dice. I saw him switch them.” He knelt down to who was now their dog and spoke to him while scratching his head. “Lucky roll of the dice, eh. What do ye think of that fer a name. Rollo. Yes?” Seeming to agree with it, Rollo licked Ian’s face happily.  
Skylar laughed at the interaction. “We should get back. Jamie and Claire will be at the tavern any minute. And we need to introduce them to the newest member of the family.”  
Continuing to pet Rollo, Ian looked up at her and they smiled, both very happy about their new addition. He stood up straight and, taking Skylar’s hand, they walked back.  
When they got back to the tavern, the teenagers sat on a table in front of the building with Rollo at their feet. Neither could keep their hands off him. They were so relieved to have gotten him away from his horrible ex-owner and just wanted to shower him with love.  
“There ye two are,” they heard Jamie say as he and Claire approached them. “Fergus said ye ran off a while ago, Skylar.”  
“I was looking for him,” she explained, putting a hand on Ian’s shoulder.   
Jamie then noticed they weren’t alone. “What’s this beast ye have with ye?”  
“He’s not a beast! He’s just a little puppy.”  
“Isn’t he a handsome dog, Uncle?” Ian said.  
Claire didn’t agree. “I don’t think that’s a dog, Ian. More like a bloody wolf.”  
Skylar bit her lip to keep from laughing at Claire’s words. As Jamie bent down to Rollo to pet him and scratch his ears, the dog just looked so sweet and adorable, almost smiling with his tongue hanging out.  
 _Yeah, a real bloodthirsty wolf here._  
“Broader through the head and chest than a wolf,” Jamie corrected. He stood up and asked, “He’s a fine creature. Where’d ye get him?”  
“I won him,” Ian told him. “Lucky roll of the dice. So I called him Rollo.”  
“Ye were gamblin’?” Jamie pressed, his face and voice very disapproving.  
Ian’s smile shrunk seeing that he was in trouble. “Aye, with sailors.”  
“Yeah, just sailors. Sailors that were threatening to slit your throat if you lost,” Skylar added, not letting him forget that she was still not happy with him taking part in the activity.   
Ian looked back at her, his expression reading, “Do not help.”   
“But he’s not the only thing I won,” he continued, turning back around. He reached into his pocket and took out all the money he had collected and handed it to his uncle.  
Jamie looked impressed at the amount, but said, still disciplining him, “Christ, ye shouldna stake yer life gamblin’ wi’ sailors.”  
“That’s what I said!” Skylar voiced.  
“But yer always at it, Uncle,” Ian argued. “Every tavern we’ve seen fit te rest, ye’ve wagered our coin.”   
“That’s cards, not dice. And I ken what I’m doin’.”  
“Well, I won, did I no?”  
“Only by a very very lucky roll of the dice,” Skylar reminded him.  
“If yer mother hears of this…” Jamie said, Jenny being what Jamie was most afraid of.  
Ian held back rolling his eyes and sighed. “I won’t do it again. Promise.”  
“You’re right, you won’t. And you won’t need to,” Claire put in. “We’ve plenty of money now. We found a buyer for the ruby last night.”  
Ian’s shoulders slumped slightly. “Well, that’s some good news, Auntie.” He tried to sound optimistic, but Skylar could tell perfectly well he didn’t mean it. He didn’t want to leave America, and neither did she. She wanted to stay and watch the land she grew up in become its own country. To not only witness history but to be a part of it was less than a once in a lifetime opportunity, and it devastated her to not have that experience. But at the same time, she knew it was better for them to be in Scotland. It was familiar, and everyone they knew was back there. She could also just imagine how desperate Ian’s parents were to have him home again.  
“Aye. Well, bring yer mongrel and we’ll go inside,” Jamie instructed. “We’ll have some food. Then there’s some things we need te talk about.” He and Claire exchanged a look like they had a secret they were wanting to tell. They walked inside leaving the younger two alone.  
Ian stroked Rollo’s head, his body language much more sullen than it had been a minute ago. Skylar looped her arm through his and said to him, “Hey, after everything that’s happened, won’t the slower pace of Scotland kind of be a relief?”  
Still looking down, he answered, “Or it’ll be even more boring than it was before.”  
“Think about it this way, knowing everything that you went through and survived, your parents are going to have a very difficult time seeing you as a little kid and treating you like one. Plus, Lallybroch will have so much more room than here for Rollo to run around and play in. And I’ll be right there with you. I can promise you that.”  
Ian turned to look at her. “Are ye sure ye want te promise that? Ye’ll settle fer a plain life on a farm? Ye deserve so much more than that. Ye should be a princess livin’ in a grand castle wi’ servants waitin’ on ye hand and foot.”  
“I finally get you and you really think I’m gonna leave you? I told you this a long time ago, Youngin’, but I’ll say it again. You’re stuck with me forever. And besides, I already have my prince so anywhere we live will be our castle.” She cupped his face and brushed his cheek with her thumb. She tried to keep a straight face but she couldn’t help but laugh at what she had just said. “Omigod, I almost made myself throw up saying that.”  
Ian smiled at her and laughed, which still filled her with butterflies, and kissed her. They let it go on for a few moments until she pulled back and said, “We should get inside before Jamie sends out a search party.” He gave a nod in agreement and stood up. He picked up Rollo’s rope then offered his hand to Skylar. She took it, standing as well, and they walked into the tavern.  
They found their group at a table with food on it already. Jamie and Claire had warned the others about Rollo, so when Ian led in the massive dog, they weren’t completely shocked. But they definitely were still a little wary of the animal under their table.  
As they ate, Jamie and Claire made their announcement; that they would not be returning to Scotland and would instead stay here in North Carolina.   
Fergus almost spat out his drink when they said it. “Staying in America?”  
Ian lit up when he heard their plan, automatically assuming he would be joining them. Skylar sat up straighter, hopeful as well that this would include the two of them.  
“Aye. Claire and I have decided te try and make a life here,” Jamie confirmed. He took Claire’s hand and they looked at each other both proud and confident with their decision, as scary as it might be.   
“That is a fine Idea,” Ian spoke in agreement. “We could stay-”  
But Jamie stopped him. “Not ‘we’, lad. Ye’ll still be on a ship bound fer Scotland.”  
“Oh, please, Uncle. I’ll no be a worry te ye. Truly, I swear it. I’ll work te earn me bread. I’ve a talent fer sellin’. Fergus’ll tell ye.” Fergus gave Jamie a nod, acknowledging that was true. But Jamie wasn’t sold.  
“Ye ken I would like nothin’ more than te have ye with me, but what in God’s name would yer mother say?” Again, the fear of Jenny’s wrath being the main force driving his argument.   
“I dinna ken. But she’d be sayin’ it in Scotland, won’t she?” Skylar chuckled at that and put her arm back through his. “She kens I’m safe with ye. Ye wrote te her back in Georgia.”  
“I canna say that particular bit of knowledge will be over-comfortin’ te her, Ian,” Lesley added.  
Jamie continued, trying a different way to reason with his nephew. “Yer parents dinna want a vagrant’s life fer ye, lad. They want ye te grow te be a man of learnin’ and influence. A man of worth. Ye’ll amount te somethin’ fer yer mother’s sake if it kills us both.” He grabbed the boy’s arm affectionately. “Yer life’s no meant to be wasted. Especially if ye mean te provide as a husband and father one day. Those are jobs in and of their own, and ye need te prove yer deservin’ of the lass ye make that life with.” His eyes shifted quickly to Skylar then back to Ian. Ian saw him look to the girl, and he did too. He held the hand she had wrapped on his arm and kissed her head. He did want to be able to give the woman who he loved almost too much a good life and have her want for nothing. He just desperately wished he could do that in the New World rather than the one he was already too acquainted with.  
“Of course, it is your choice, Skylar,” Claire said to her. “If you want to stay here or go back to Scotland. Though I’m fairly certain what your choice will be.” She smiled sweetly at the 17 year old.  
“I think it’s more than understood by now that wherever he goes, I go. And if that’s Scotland and Lallybroch, then that’s where I’ll be.” She held Ian’s arm tighter and the two smiled at each other, so full of unwavering and deep adoration for one another. She kissed his shoulder, and they turned their attention back to everyone else.  
“Where will you settle?” Fergus directed to Jamie and Claire, bringing the conversation back to them.  
“We don’t know yet. We thought we would work on that when we’re visiting River Run,” Claire answered.  
Jamie turned to his adoptive son and said to him, “Fergus, I want ye te have a portion of the profit from the ruby. It will pay fer ye and Marsali te return te Scotland, if that’s what ye choose. And there’s a bit fer Marsali te take home te her mother. Fer the alimony I promised.” Marsali looked at him, very appreciative that he had not forgotten about that and still meant to honor it. “There’s enough fer ye as well, Lesley,” he added, not wanting to leave out his friend.  
“I appreciate it, Mac Dubh. But I’d have ye keep yer coin if I may travel with ye a bit longer,” Lesley countered. “This is a wild country, and my place is at yer side.”  
Smiling at the sentiment, Jamie nodded. “Aye, ye may.”  
Skylar knew Ian too well that when she felt him move forward, she knew he was going to assert that he felt that way too and should be allowed to stay as well. But she stopped him, whispering, “Don’t do it, Youngin’. Arguing will not help.”  
She heard him take a breath and he sat back in his chair.   
Fergus then made his own similar announcement regarding himself and Marsali. “We would like to stay in North Carolina as well, Milord. Marsali would not be well-suited to a long journey.”  
Everyone at the table was confused by what he meant; except for Skylar and Ian.   
_Omigod omigod! They’re finally telling everyone!_ she thought excitedly. She tried to play along that she had no idea while waiting with anticipation for them to say it.   
Marsali seemed very nervous to actually say it to everyone, even though she had been so willing to tell Skylar the night before. Fergus understood, so he said it for her.  
“She is with child.”  
Jamie’s eyes went wide with surprise as he looked between them. “What?!” he responded, laughing and smiling with joy. His reaction now was so much different than when they had first announced they were married.  
Seeing everyone so happy over the news, Skylar didn’t even have to pretend to have big emotions over it. She felt the same excitement all over again as when Marsali had first told her.   
“Well, this certainly is a wonderful surprise,” Claire commented.   
“Aye, it was a surprise te us as well,” Marsali said back. Skylar could almost hear the silent conversation the two women were having, and she knew Claire had known as well that Marsali had wanted to wait a while before having kids, and wanted to make sure this was something she was happy about.  
“Of course, we are delighted,” Marsali said, reassuring Claire. The obvious joy in Marsali’s smile and voice made it perfectly clear there was no falseness in her words.  
Jamie could barely contain his excitement, and he hit the table as he said to the soon to be parents, “May God bless ye both.”  
“For now, Marsali and I will stay in Wilmington,” Fergus continued to explain their plan.  
Marsali went on with, “It’s a wee bit bigger than Broch Merdha. I hope te find work as a seamstress, while Fergus seeks employment himself.”  
“Aye, he’ll do fine Marsali,” Jamie promised, then turned to Fergus. “And ye, ye’ll make a fine father.”  
Fergus appeared very honored and touched at Jamie’s praise. “Thank ye, Milord.”  
“This baby is truly blessed with the best parents he or she could ever have,” Skylar complimented.  
“And he will adore his Auntie Skylar; who, I promise, he will see many many times,” Fergus replied, being able to read her mind. Though she absolutely could not be more ecstatic for him, she also felt a pit form in her stomach at the idea of being an ocean away from her brother. Looking at her with a touch of sadness in his eyes, he was clearly thinking the same thing about his sister.  
She looked back to Jamie when he changed the subject, directing his statement to her, Lesley and Ian. “The Campagnia leaves in under a fortnight. Ye three will accompany us te River Run until then.” Ian nodded seriously in agreement, but Skylar could see the grin he was fighting back at the knowledge that they were going to be able to travel a bit more before being forced home.  
As the others went back to congratulating Fergus and Marsali, Skylar whispered to Ian, “Maybe if I get pregnant too, they won’t make us go back.” She laughed, not in the slightest bit meaning it. Ian knew very well she was joking too, but his whole face and neck turned tomato red at her suggestion, and he was stuttering so badly he couldn’t get out a response.  
Lesley leaned into the two and said, with a tone of caution, “I heard that.”  
 _Damn bat ears._


	27. An Unfortunate Familiar Face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Sexual assault

Within a week, Jamie, Claire, Skylar, Ian and Lesley were on their way to River Run. They had asked around the harbor if anyone had a boat that could take them and if they would be willing. They found a man called Captain Freeman who said yes to both.  
A couple days before they left, Jamie wrote a letter to his Aunt, telling her that they were coming to visit for a while and explained their story of ending up here. He paid a messenger extra to get it to her as fast as he could.   
When the day came for them to leave, Fergus and Skylar refused to have any sort of emotional goodbye. She would be back in less than two weeks, and that’s when the hard separation would happen; which they both ignored and didn’t mention. Though she would see him again soon, this would be the longest they would be parted since they met and it felt very strange.   
They had been on the boat now for not more than two hours. And, even with both Ian and Lesley rowing, they were moving at what seemed to be a snail’s pace. But Skylar didn’t mind it. It was very calm and relaxing, and to not have to be in any urgent rush was a welcome relief to her anxiety.  
She was sitting against the outside wall of the cabin, facing out at the side of the boat where Ian was rowing. Rollo sat up next to her, appearing to enjoy the peaceful ride. She could hear Jamie tell Claire about his Aunt Jocasta and how she had gone through every man on the Cameron family tree as husbands, taking a new one after the previous one died.  
“You don’t think she, like, got rid of them herself, on purpose, do you?” Skylar felt the need to ask.  
Jamie laughed lightly at her comment. “No. Me Aunt was never one te have it in her te intentionally harm someone; physically, that it. She does have a rather sharp tongue when she needs it.”   
“Well, I hope the messenger arrives with your letter before we do,” Claire stated.  
“He’d arrive before we do if he crawled on his hands and knees,” Ian spoke, not liking the slow speed as much as Skylar. She laughed at his annoyance.  
Jamie also found it amusing. “Well, keep goin’, lad. I expect ye’ll have us in River Run before nightfall.”  
“Come on, Youngin’. How hard can it be to pull a little stick through some water?” Skylar teased, grinning at him.  
“Would ye like te try te have a go then, Yank?” he shot back.  
She faked a gasp and put a hand to her chest like that was the most absurd idea she had ever heard. “I am but a woman. I am not fit to do man’s work.”  
He playfully tried to kick her in response, but she blocked him with her foot. They both chuckled and smiled at each other, then he put his focus back onto his job.  
“Poor man deserves a rest,” she heard Claire say. She looked to the top of the cabin where Claire was looking as well and understood what she was talking about. The two women had noticed immediately upon boarding that Captain Freeman had a slave working at steering his boat. Claire seemed to react with a silent fuming over it, while Skylar felt more guilty over having to agree to ride the boat the man was enslaved to. She had considered making some kind of comment about it, but she didn’t feel it was her place and she absolutely would not be listened to. She was glad Claire said something though.   
“Shouldn’t have elderly slaves on their feet all day,” Claire said to Jamie, but making it loud enough so that Captain Freeman would hear. And he did.  
He took a few steps towards her and said, “Needen’t worry yerself, Madam. He earns a fair wage fer his work. Isn’t that right, Eutroclus?”  
“Yes I do, Captain,” Eutroclus answered back.  
“You mean to say that you’re free?” Claire asked, clearly taken aback at that.  
“Yes, Madam.”  
Captain Freeman then went on to explain, “He used te be me slave. Til one day I fell asleep wi’ the lamp still burnin’. The cabin caught fire and Eutroclus pulled me out in time. After that, I petitioned a court fer his release on the grounds of meritorious service and offered assuredly fer his freedom. Been workin’ fer me ever since. Best waterman on the river.”  
“That’s incredible,” Skylar remarked. She looked up at the ex-slave.  
 _How do you save the life of someone who once couldn’t have cared less about your own and viewed you as property?_ she thought.  
She knew from learning about them that there were some slave owners that treated their slaves more kindly and humanely than others, and Captain Freeman had probably been one of those few.  
 _But still._  
She looked at Ian who was concentrating hard on dragging his pole through the water, trying to get them to move any bit faster.   
_I hope Ian would let Geillis burn and die rather than try to get her out. I would just add more fuel to the flames._  
In the week since he had told her everything that happened with him and Geillis in Jamaica, he hadn’t had anymore nightmares. She was more than relieved about that, and it was clear he was happier too. She just hoped it would stay that way and no more would come back.   
Around midafternoon, Captain Freeman had taken over at rowing from Ian for a while, and he and Skylar were sitting on the cabin roof eating some of the bread and cheese they had packed. Of course, Rollo was lying next to them. Eutroclus was behind them teaching Claire how to steer the boat; which turned out to be much harder than it looked.  
Looking at the water, Skylar said, “Every time I see a log I have a mini heart attack because I think it’s an alligator.”  
“What’s an alligator?” Ian asked, his curiosity peaked at another new American thing to learn about.  
“You’ve never heard of them?” He shook his head. “It’s an animal that lives here in the southern part of the country. They’re reptiles that live in water. They’re green and scaly and have crazy sharp teeth. Some can grow to be over 6 feet long. They’re extremely dangerous.”  
Ian’s eyes widened. “Do ye think there are any in this river?” He wasn’t wondering out of fear, but actually wanting to get to see one.  
“I really hope not.”  
“Did ye ever see one when ye lived here?”  
“I lived in the north and there aren’t any there. But my mom and I came down here once and I saw a couple then. They’re terrifying.”  
“Ye’ve been in North Carolina before? And ye came from father north? How did ye get down here, and how long did that take ye? It must’ve been somethin’ like six months.”  
“Um…ye-yeah, yeah. Something like that,” she stuttered, trying to find some nonsuspicious answer.   
She was saved when Jamie called to Ian, “Alright lad, it’s yer turn at the pole.”  
Dropping the subject, Ian rubbed Rollo’s head and pecked Skylar’s cheek, then went back down and took up his job again.  
Skylar stared at him for a bit, then moved her head to watch the trees crawl by on the shore. She absent mindedly pet Rollo as she started to think again on what she had been debating with herself over for months now.  
 _I need to tell him where I’m from. I can’t keep lying to him. But what the hell do I even say? So, Ian, by the way, I’m not from this century. I actually fell through some stones and came here from the year 2019. Just thought you should know. Yeah, that doesn’t make me sound crazy at all._  
She had been putting it off and putting it off and putting it off. She was terrified that if she were to tell him, he would up and leave her. He would think she was insane and not want anything to do with her. But when she thought this, she also remembered how scared Ian was to tell her about Geillis because he was so sure she wouldn’t love him anymore. And he had been so wrong about that.  
 _Could he possibly understand? Does he love me enough to maybe actually believe me and not think I’m a witch to burn at the stake? I mean, it worked out for Claire and Jamie._   
Claire had told her the story back at Lallybroch about the witch trial she had been a part of and how it led her to needing to tell Jamie about being from the future. She said Jamie had reacted shockingly well and believed her without any doubt, and it had only helped their relationship grow stronger. Skylar wished there was a way of knowing if Ian would be the same. But there was no way to know until she did it, and she couldn’t avoid it much longer.  
 _If I’m going to spend the rest of my life with him, he needs to know. But, God, if he left me over this, it would fully destroy me._   
She kept this thought in the back of her head for the rest of the day and up until they went to bed.   
Captain Freeman and Eutroclus camped on the shore while the others stayed inside the cabin of the docked boat. Skylar and Ian were on the wooden bed that jutted out from the wall with Rollo sleeping below them, Claire and Jamie laid on some blankets on the boat floor, and Lesley was on the bench on the opposite wall from the younger couple.   
Even with the gentle rocking of the boat, Skylar still had a hard time falling asleep. She had gotten better at getting into a regular sleep pattern, but some nights she still had a hard time sleeping. And with it being so sweltering hot at near July in North Carolina, this night was particularly difficult. She decided to try sitting outside for a while. She tried to move as quietly as possible to not wake Ian. Unfortunately, that didn’t work.  
“Somethin’ wrong, Yank?” he asked, his voice groggy but concern still present in his tone.   
“I’m fine, Youngin’,” she whispered back. “I can’t sleep. I’m going on the deck.”  
“I’ll come with ye.” He started to sit up, but she stopped him.   
“I’m fine on my own. I’ll just be a few minutes. Go back to sleep.” Too tired to argue, he laid back down. Skylar kissed his head then walked outside.   
She sat at the back of the boat against the cabin wall and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She could smell the imminent rain. She was looking forward to the rain. They would finally be able to cool down.   
She had nearly started to drift off, so she didn’t notice the man until he was standing above her.   
“Well, hello again, beautiful,” an Irish voice spoke down at her. Her eyes shot open. There was Stephen Bonnet; the moonlight hitting his face in such a way that there was an eerie glow around him. The expression he was wearing now was almost unrecognizable as the man who had hid in their wagon. In the two seconds she stared at him in stupefied fear, she could finally see the darkness in him that her gut had warned her about.   
She immediately tried to stand and run past him, but he caught her around the waist and locked a hand over her mouth. “Ye try te scream, and I’ll slit yer throat,” he said so plainly that he may as well been offering her sugar for her tea. He pushed her against the cabin, his hand still on her mouth, pressing her head against the wood. He smiled an unpleasant smile and said, “Let’s have some fun shall we?”  
His hand went under her skirts to her thigh and forcibly pulled her leg around his hip. He attached his other hand to her clothed breast and went to work on her neck. She could feel him biting and sucking on her exposed skin. Somewhere in her mind, Skylar knew she needed to scream. She needed to wake up the others to let them know what was happening. But she was frozen. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t speak, she was hardly breathing. She knew what was coming and she couldn’t stop it. She just prayed it would be over soon.   
Bonnet dropped her leg to use both hands to rip open the front of her dress, fully exposing her chest. He started attacking her there as he had her neck, taking her waist with an iron grip, and pressing himself against her. She had no experience involving anything below the belt, but she knew at once what was poking into her stomach. Then, he kissed her.   
This was nothing like when Ian kissed her. Ian kissed her passionately at times, but still gently and full of love. Bonnet was rough and was only full of lust. He drilled his mouth into hers and forced his tongue down her throat which made her gag. He tasted like cheap tobacco and bad rum.   
The kiss had lasted for what felt like an eternity before he went back under her dress and grabbed her rear, pulling her against his hips and rubbed himself against her.   
Skylar was starting to go limp and she could feel herself leaving her body. But she was brought back when she heard Rollo barking from inside the cabin. He must’ve been able to sense that something bad was happening on the deck. It distracted Bonnet as well and he looked up towards the noise. In that split second, Skylar shoved him as hard as she could and started to run to the cabin door at the front of the boat.  
“Ian! Ian! Jamie!” she finally screamed.   
Bonnet caught up with her in an instant though. He pulled her back by her arm and smacked her hard across the face, throwing her to the floor.   
“AH!” she cried out when his hand made contact.  
She looked up at him and pushed back away from him as he gave her a look that made her think he was about to kill her. He then turned to the shore and yelled, “What are ye waitin’ fer? Come on!”   
More men appeared seemingly out of nowhere and boarded the boat. Bonnet had obviously told them to wait and give him time alone with Skylar. He must have thought she was no longer worth the trouble though, as he turned his back on her and went about with his original plan.  
Skylar ran back to the back of the boat and made herself as small as she could in the darkness. She wasn’t crying. Her body wasn’t able to. She felt like she was no longer a part of reality, like she was in some other world. She felt paralyzed.   
She could hear Rollo still barking amidst the shouts and chaos. She could also hear Ian above the noise, though to her he sounded very far away and in slow motion.  
“Skylar!” she heard him yell. She tried to open her mouth to answer but no words came out. With few places to look, he found her.  
“Skylar,” he said, kneeling in front of her. She couldn’t look at him. “What happened?” He touched her shoulder and Skylar immediately pulled away from him, bringing herself back to Earth. He pulled his hand back, confused. He quickly looked her over and what he saw answered his question; her holding her ripped dress together, the red handprint on her cheek and she was shaking violently. Rage filled him instantaneously. “Did that bastard hurt ye?” he asked, already knowing the truth.   
She made herself face him, and the look on his face was something she had never seen from him. “I’m fine,” she said. “I’m not hurt. Help Claire.” He seemed very hesitant to leave her. “Ian, go!” she demanded. He leapt up and ran.  
Skylar sat there, listening to everything play out. And after what seemed like hours, everything went silent. Bonnet and his pirates were gone. She heard the sound of three sets of footsteps coming towards her.   
“Skylar,” she heard Claire’s calm voice say. The woman knelt down to her. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?”  
“I stopped him,” the girl answered, still looking down. “He tried…he-he wanted to…but I stopped him.” It was so quiet after she said that, they could only hear the ripples against the boat and the gnats flying around their faces. After a full minute of silence, Skylar decided to stand up. She pushed herself up and slowly came to shakily standing.   
Ian took a step towards her, obviously wanting to help her balance. But when his hand touched her arm, she shouted, “Don’t touch me!” and pinned herself to the cabin wall, eyes closed and grasping her torn dress against her chest. She knew right away she shouldn’t have done that. She opened her eyes and looked at Ian. He looked terrified and brokenhearted, though not for himself like she thought he was. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, tears starting to sting the corners of her eyes.   
“Come, let’s get you inside,” Claire said softly. “Is it alright if I touch your back, to guide you?”  
Skylar took an enormous breath in and let it out slowly. She nodded and peeled herself off the wall. Claire’s touch was gentle, but still made her tense up.   
Walking to the front of the boat, she saw the aftermath of the attack. Broken bottles and empty bags and crates littered the deck, showing obvious signs of a struggle. There was also a large long object covered with a blanket. A boot stuck out at the end and an exposed hand laid still.   
“What’s that?” Skylar asked. Nobody answered her.   
Claire led her inside the cabin. It was just as bad a mess as it was outside, but with the addition of blood on the floor. But Skylar didn’t pay any attention to it. She just went where Claire led her.   
Claire sat her down on the bed and then turned to Ian and Jamie who had followed them into the cabin. Claire said something to them, but Skylar wasn’t focusing on it. She only heard bits and pieces.  
“…can’t be around…not okay…has to recover.”  
Jamie apparently understood and went back outside. Ian stood his ground. Again, bits and pieces.  
“…canna leave her alone…need te be with…see she’s alright.”  
“Ian…be around men…not okay…and traumatized.”  
Ian must’ve finally relented because when Skylar tuned back into reality, he was gone.  
“Do you want to change into a shift?” she heard Claire ask her.   
“Yes,” she answered.  
Claire helped her change into one of her own under gowns as the one Skylar was wearing under her dress had been torn as well. As she did, Skylar saw the expressions Claire tried to hide. There must’ve been marks left behind that she knew would form into bruises. Claire saw the bite marks on her neck and chest, and where his nails had dug into her thigh. But neither said anything.   
Skylar felt more comfortable in the cool light fabric of the shift rather than her heavier dress. Once she was changed, Claire dabbed some cool water on her face, neck and chest, and gave her some to drink.   
Exhaustion suddenly overcame the younger girl and she felt her eyelids start drooping.  
“Do you want to sleep?” Claire asked. Skylar just nodded.  
Claire helped her lay down and before she was fully horizontal, she fell into a dark, dreamless sleep.


	28. Not Your Fault

Nearly three days had passed since the attack. Jamie, Claire and Ian were trying to go about their regular routines as normal as they could manage. Skylar, however, was not. She stayed inside the cabin, only allowing Claire to come in. She felt so unbelievably guilty at keeping Ian and Jamie away. She couldn’t imagine what was going through Ian’s mind. She wanted nothing more than to have him with her, having him hold her and making her feel safe and protected. But she was so scared that if he touched her, she would panic again. She saw how hurt he was when she pushed him away. She couldn’t handle seeing that look on his face again because of her.   
She was also so ashamed over how defeated she was allowing herself to feel as she believed she didn’t have the right to be. She hadn’t been the only one affected that night. She had asked Claire what else had happened and she was given the honest answer. Bonnet had murdered Lesley as he was trying to protect Claire. Skylar realized that was what, or in actuality who, had been under the blanket that she saw. The following morning, they buried Lesley on the bank of the river. Skylar did not attend. She stood in front of the cabin door for 15 minutes, trying to make herself go outside to say goodbye to him. But every time she took a step forward, she went right back. When Claire came back, she tried to assure the young girl no one thought badly of her for not being at the burial, and that Lesley was not upset at her and understood as he watched over. But Skylar knew she would never forgive herself for having been absent from now two of her good friends’ final moments.   
Bonnet had also hurt Claire during his raid. He had tried to steal both of her wedding rings and before he could take them, she shoved them in her mouth to keep them safe. That hadn’t deterred Bonnet. He forced his finger into her mouth and got away with one of them. He left in possession of Jamie’s wedding ring, leaving her with the band from her first marriage in her time. It was all too plain how devastated Claire was at losing the ring she got when she married the love of her life. But she tried to hide it and push it away so she could focus on helping Skylar through each day; and that only added onto Skylar’s guilt.   
So now, she sat on her bed with her back against the wall and her knees pulled into her chest, trying to snap herself out of this dark place she couldn’t seem to find a light in. She tenderly touched the marks on her neck and upper chest, something she’d been doing so often since that night it was almost an unconscious action now. The morning after, they had become large purple bruises. Claire did everything she could to make them fade as quickly as possible. She used treatments she knew worked for regular bruises and it seemed to help. She laid a wet cloth on them, alternating between cold water and hot water, as well as peppermint oil and gentle massage to “help stimulate blood flow,” she kept explaining. Between those methods and aloe vera to help with the swelling, the marks had gone down remarkably quick. They were still visible, but would likely be gone within the next couple days. But that was still too long. Every moment that Skylar knew they were there, she was reminded of how she got them and felt herself sink deeper.  
As she touched them, she clenched her eyes tight, again forcing back the tears that had been threatening for three days.  
Claire came into the cabin, pushing back the makeshift curtain she had put up.   
“Would you like a peach?” the woman offered, holding out the fruit. Skylar looked at it, wary. She didn’t have much of an appetite. “You have to eat, Skylar. You’ve barely had anything in the last two days.” She kept holding out the fruit until the girl in question reluctantly took it. She had resorted back to her bad habits of not eating or sleeping. But not from stress. She had no motivation or energy to try. Or if she did manage to close her eyes for a few minutes, she was woken up instantly by Bonnet’s face flashing in her mind.   
Claire was about to walk back out when Skylar stopped her, “Claire?” She turned back to Skylar. “Do you think you might be able to help fix my dress?” They both looked at the small blanket on the opposite bench that the piece of clothing was hidden under. “I really like that one.”  
Claire was a little surprised. She had thought Skylar would never want to see, let alone wear, it again. But if that’s what she wanted.   
“Of course.” She came back in and took out her sewing materials from under the bench. As she mended the dress, she kept an eye on the young girl across the room. She was playing with the peach in her hands, only taking bird bites out of it here and there. She was very obviously far from okay after what she had been through. Claire wished so much she could talk to her about it, but she knew she couldn’t force it. Skylar would come to her when she was ready.   
They sat in silence for a number of minutes until Skylar asked, in all seriousness, “Am I being completely ridiculous?”  
Claire looked up. “About what, dear?”  
She searched for the words to use but settled on, “This. How I’m acting.” Claire set the dress aside, showing that Skylar had her full attention. “I shouldn’t be feeling like this. It’s not right. I don’t deserve to.”  
“Why would you say that?”  
“Because. Because, it’s not like I was-” she stopped, not wanting to say the word. “He didn’t…rape me, or anything. Nothing really happened. I can’t stop thinking about all the other girls he must’ve done so much worse to. What did he do to me? Give me some hickeys? Rip my clothes? That’s nothing!” Her voice was starting to break and tears threatened. But she fought them back, as she had since it happened, not believing she had the right to cry. “And here I am, wanting to die every time I remember, not being able to close my eyes without seeing him! I’m not even able to let my-my boyfriend hold my hand for Christ’s sake without freaking out! And God, Ian. What Bonnet did to me, that doesn’t even begin to compare to what he went through with Geillis. He was in so much pain and he was still able to be a fucking member of society! He could be around people, around me and let me kiss him and touch him and he didn’t…he didn’t want to just crawl into a hole and disappear. I don’t deserve to be this broken over this!”  
Claire went over next to her and took her hand. “Look at me, Skylar,” she said, softly but firmly. Gritting her teeth to keep herself from crying, Skylar looked at her. Claire continued, “What happened to you may not be the textbook definition of “rape,” but what he did to you was sexual assault. You cannot compare your story with someone else’s. It doesn’t matter what he’s done to others or what other people have endured. It does not minimize what you went through. It does not make it less of a trauma. You are allowed to have these enormous bad feelings about it. You’re allowed to feel angry and sad.”  
Hearing Claire’s words, she still didn’t fully believe it, but she found she wasn’t stopping some tears from escaping. And once the first few fell, everything followed. She wrapped her arms around Claire’s waist and buried her face in her chest, finally letting herself react. Claire just held her as tight as she could, letting her cry for as long as she needed.   
When she started to settle, Skylar sat up and wiped her eyes. Sniffing, she said quietly, “Thank you, Claire. I’m sorry about…that.”  
“Oh, darling,” she responded, smoothing the hurt girl’s hair. “You’re going to be alright. No matter how long it takes. And you won’t go through it alone. You have all of our love and support and we’re here for you no matter what.”  
“I know I rarely talk about my life in my time, but right now, I really wish I had my mom. I can’t even say she’s watching over me because she won’t even be born for another 200 years.” She delicately touched the necklace still hanging around her neck. She wanted to be able to see the moon to talk to her mom and feel some sort of comfort, something that had helped her while on the Artemis. But with her fear keeping her from being able to leave the cabin, she was unable to do that and, though she had Claire with her, it only made her feel more alone and sad.  
“I know that I could never take your mother’s place, but please know that for whatever you may need, I’m always here.”  
Skylar gave her a soft smile in response and hugged her again. 

OUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDER

After another full day, they finally made it to Cross Creek, which meant they were only a day or two at the very most from River Run. Skylar was still hesitant to come out of the cabin, but she wanted to try something that might help her start to move forward.   
“Claire?” she said. Claire was in the cabin with her cleaning her medical tools.  
“Yes, darling?”  
“Can you ask Ian to come in please?”  
Claire tried to hide the shock she felt at that request.   
“Of course. Are you sure?”  
“Definitely.” Claire smiled at her then went outside.  
 _I hope I am,_ she thought.   
She was missing Ian like mad and couldn’t stand not being around him anymore. She hoped that reconnecting with him and having their relationship go back to as normal as it could would push her towards putting the whole night behind her.   
But as she waited for him to come inside, she couldn’t help feeling horribly nervous things might only get worse.  
Ian was going crazy. He was sitting on the deck with Rollo, trying to focus his mind on anything other than the woman he loved who was alone and in pain, separated from him by a thin piece of cloth acting as a door. But that was easier said than done. It had been more than three days since he had been able to see Skylar and he didn’t know how much longer he could bear it. He understood what his Auntie Claire had told him, that she probably wasn’t able to be around any men since she panicked at his touch. But it was killing him not knowing if she was okay. He pestered Claire every time she came from the cabin, asking about her, and she always assured him that Skylar was doing alright at the moment, though still had a ways to go in terms of recovery. But he needed to see her himself. He needed to hold her and kiss her and let her know how much he loved her. He needed to tell her he would do whatever it took to support her and care for her through this, and he didn’t care how long that would be.   
At that moment, Claire came out.   
“Ian,” she called, walking over to him. He stood up, anxious to hear anything she had to say. She gave him a small smile and said, “She wants to see you.”  
“She does?” he confirmed, joy radiating through his body. Claire nodded. He started to bolt for the cabin, but his Aunt stopped him. “Go slow, Ian,” she warned.   
He listened and walked to the doorway. He licked his lips, suddenly feeling nervous, and cautiously moved past the curtain. He saw her sitting on the bed, just in her shift. She was looking off to the side and her leg was bouncing wildly. He could tell she was gripping the edge of the bed tightly from how white her knuckles were. She was nervous too.  
He took a breath before he said anything. Though she was only in her plain white under gown with her hair simply falling down her back with nothing done to it, she was still the most beautiful girl in the world. It destroyed him seeing her so defeated and he prayed he would be able to help her in any way he could.   
“Yank?” he said gently. She looked over at him and a real genuine smile took over her face. Seeing her smile like that with some light back in her eyes made him want to run to her and grab her tight. But he stopped himself, remembering what his Aunt had said. So all he could do was smile back, “happy” not being close to adequately describe what he felt looking at her.   
They stayed looking at each other until Skylar said, “Sit next to me?”  
With all of his willpower, he paced himself walking to her. He sat down a few inches away, not wanting to overwhelm her.   
He took her in, and what he saw ripped his heart out of his chest. She looked exhausted and dark circles laid under her eyes, like she hadn’t slept in days. There were a couple small cuts on her cheek from where Bonnet had hit her, and the faded remnants of what were once dark purple bruises of various sizes were scattered all over her neck. He could see some peeking from under her collar as well. In that moment, he felt like he could murder Bonnet with his bare hands.   
“I’ve missed you,” she told him.  
“I’ve missed ye too.”  
Skylar looked down at his hand, a mere three inches from hers. She was itching to reach out and take it. She was aching to feel his touch again. She was just so scared.  
“I’m sorry,” she said, not looking up. “I didn’t want to keep you away, believe me. I wanted you with me. I felt like I couldn’t breathe without you next to me. But I knew how hurt you were when I pulled away from you before and I couldn’t have handled making you feel like that again.”  
“Ye do not have te apologize for anythin’, love,” he countered. “There was nothin’ that ye did wrong. My heart did break in half when you were scared of me touchin’ ye, but not fer the reason ye think. My heart broke because I could see how much fear ye were in and there was nothin’ I could do te help ye.” He looked down at her hand as well. “It’s me that will never be able te say how desperately sorry I truly am.”  
She looked up at him. “What do you mean?”  
“I have been racked with guilt since that night. It’s me fault ye were attacked. I should never have let ye go outside in the dark on yer own.”  
“You wanted to come with me, Ian. I told you not to.”  
“I should have insisted. I should have been there with ye. I should have protected ye. It-it’s me job te make sure nothin’ bad happens te ye, ever. And I failed.”  
Not even thinking about it, Skylar moved closer to him and grabbed his hand. Ian looked at their hands locked together in shock, then back at her.   
“If you had been with me, you couldn’t have stopped him. He was going to get what he wanted, and if you were in his way…I don’t want to even imagine what he would’ve done to you. It’s by some unbelievable miracle that I was able to push him off, and that he didn’t kill me for it. It’s not your fault, Ian. Stephen Bonnet is a monster.”  
“Yer holdin’ me hand, Yank,” he said, in awe. She looked down and saw that she was gripping his hand. And she was okay. The fact she could do that brought fresh tears to her eyes. She gingerly brought his hand to her lips and kissed it.   
Ian, wanting to see if he could go further, raised his other hand and brought it halfway to her face.  
“Is it…alright, if I touch yer cheek?”  
Reminding herself that this was Ian, the man who adored her and who was not going to hurt her, she answered, “Yes.”  
He placed his hand on her so tenderly as though she were a porcelain doll he was afraid of breaking. She flinched at first contact, but she didn’t let herself pull away. In fact, she leaned into him.  
“Ian,” she sighed, letting the tears fall, both from happiness at having him with her again and at letting herself feel pain at the memory of what happened. He used his thumb to wipe them away, fighting back his own.   
“I will never let anythin’ happen te ye ever again, my love,” he promised. “I swear it.”  
Ian stayed with her the rest of the day and through the night. Jamie had no issue with letting them be alone together. He knew that having Ian with her was the best thing for Skylar and forcing a third person on them would do nothing to help anything.   
Skylar had fallen asleep that night to the soothing feeling of Ian brushing his fingers through her hair as she rested her head in his lap. He watched her as she slept, feeling a stabbing in his heart and gut every time he remembered what had happened. She had repeatedly told him it wasn’t his fault and there was no way he could have stopped it, but he didn’t believe that. He still felt sickly guilty over letting the girl he swore he would never hurt, in fact, get hurt while he had been just a few feet away.  
Skylar had been there for him when he was going through his own recovery from the unbearable agony of what happened to him in Jamaica, and he was determined to do the same for her.  
 _Whatever she needs, whenever she needs it,_ he thought, remembering her words to him.   
She slept for almost a full 24 hours, and when she woke up, she decided she wanted to try to go outside.  
“Ye dinna have te do anythin’ until yer ready. No one is askin’ ye te hurry,” Ian assured her.   
“I know that. I want to though. I mean, we’re gonna be at River Run any day now and I can’t just stay in here the whole time.”  
Understanding that this was her own decision and what she really did want to do, he helped put her dress on over her shift and tied the laces, then took her hand to lead her outside.  
But before they moved past the curtain, Skylar stopped them. “Wait,” she said. “There’s something I wanna do first before we go out there.”  
She moved in close to him, putting her hands on his face, and kissed him. He very delicately held onto her hips and kissed her back just as gently.  
They separated after not too long and she said with a small smile, “I really missed that.”  
He returned her smile and pulled her into him, hugging her, and she nuzzled her face into his neck. They stayed in the embrace for a minute, enjoying the safety they both felt from the other’s arms. Then Ian took her hand again and they walked outside.   
At the first moment on deck, Skylar squinted and blinked at the sun. Though light had come into the cabin, it had been dimmed by the curtain and she needed a few moments to let her eyes readjust to the full bright sunlight.   
Claire, who had been sitting at the front edge of the boat with Jamie, looked up when she came out and smiled at her, sweetly and comforting.   
She walked over to her and asked, “How are you feeling, dear?”  
“Hungry,” she answered honestly.  
Claire touched her arm affectionately and said, “I’ll get some food. Wait here.” Skylar nodded and the older woman went inside.   
When she was gone, Skylar turned towards Jamie. He hadn’t looked at her when she came out. He had his eyes locked on the water in front of him. She let go of Ian’s hand and went to sit next to the older Scot. Neither of them said anything. Jamie’s face was very hard and stern, like he was actively not looking at her. She could tell he blamed himself for all that happened that night.   
After nearly two minutes of silence, she broke it by starting to say, “Jamie, you know that nothing that happened was your fault, right?”   
“It is though,” he replied, keeping his head straight. “I failed ye. Claire, Ian, Lesley, ye, ye were all under my protection. And I couldna do just that.”  
“Jamie, that’s not true. You didn’t do anything wrong. There was nothing you could’ve done to stop any of it.”  
He didn’t answer her. Instead, he just said, “I need te relieve Captain Freeman from the pole.” He stood up and left without giving her any glance.  
Skylar watched him go. She was caught in a vicious cycle. Two of the most important people in her life felt horribly guilty over not having been able to protect her which in turn made her feel horribly guilty for putting them through that.   
Claire came back and sat in front of her, handing Skylar the food she had brought. She said to the teenager, “You don’t have to worry about him. He’ll come around eventually and accept he’s wrong.” She had seen the exchange between Skylar and her husband from the cabin door and knew what Skylar was thinking. “He just can’t help it. His main duty in life is to not let any sort of harm come to those he loves, and when one of those people gets hurt, all he can do is think of the ways he could’ve prevented it; even if that wouldn’t have been possible. He’ll let that eat at him until there’s nothing left.”  
“Between both Jamie and Ian blaming themselves…God, it’s gonna kill me,” Skylar stated.  
“You don’t blame yourself though, right? Because you know what happened absolutely wasn’t your fault in any way.”  
Skylar looked down, playing with her dress skirt. “I don’t know, I…I just-I should’ve…why couldn’t I push him away sooner? Why couldn’t I scream and alert you guys? I could’ve stopped him sooner. Or if I just hadn’t gone outside, I could’ve helped fight him and maybe Lesley wouldn’t have been…” She couldn’t finish that sentence without feeling sick to her stomach. “Or he wouldn’t have taken your ring.”  
Claire touched her now bare finger where Jamie’s wedding ring had resided for so long. There was a flicker of sadness in her face, but she came out of it and said, “There’s no point in playing ‘what if’. Especially when we know the outcome would likely be the same.”  
Deep down, Skylar knew Claire was right. Had she stayed in the cabin when Bonnet attacked, she was only one person, and a very small person at that with next to no physical strength. She likely would have been no help. Still, she couldn’t stop thinking about that dreaded what if.  
She was brought out of her head at something wet and cold touching her hand. She looked down and saw it was Rollo. He was pushing her hands away with his nose so he could lay his head on her lap. Both women laughed lightheartedly at the dog’s sweet action.  
“Yeah, you’re the best of all of us, aren’t you. You’re the real hero,” Skylar said to him as she scratched his ears. She kissed his head and Rollo licked her face in response.  
“I suppose he’s not as bloodthirsty as I thought he was,” Claire admitted. She leaned down to him and said, “I apologize for misjudging you.” Accepting her apology, he licked Claire’s face as well, causing Skylar to let out a genuine laugh which felt so good. Being able to feel that authentic happiness helped her to believe that what happened that night wasn’t going to define her or break her. She was going to be able to move on from it and live a full and good life, and would one day forget that Stephen Bonnet ever existed.


	29. River Run

After one last day, they were told they were just minutes from River Run. Skylar sat on the floor of the boat, Rollo’s head resting on her lap, while Ian was helping steer. She fixed the scarf around her neck for the millionth time. Though the marks Bonnet had left were practically gone, she still felt nervous about Jocasta being able to see them at all, so she wanted to make sure they were as hidden as possible.   
She watched Jamie and Claire who were a little ways from her. Jamie still hadn’t spoken to her or even looked at her. She had tried talking to him about it again the day before and once more earlier this morning. Claire had too, but he refused to listen.   
“If I’m not te blame then who?” he kept saying. “I helped that bastard escape the noose. If I hadna done that…”  
She turned her attention to Captain Freeman as he announced, “There she is, folks. River Run.”  
Skylar stood up to look and her mouth dropped. Even in her own time, she had never seen a house so big. It looked more like an elegant Bed and Breakfast than someone’s home.  
“Christ,” Ian muttered in astonishment as he and Skylar joined the others. “Uncle Jamie, ye didna tell us Great-Aunt Jocasta has a home befittin’ a king.”  
“It is palace-like,” Skylar agreed. She looked up at Jamie, wanting to share a look of excitement. He made himself try to look at her, wanting so badly to give her the support he knew she needed from him. But at seeing the girl who he had let be hurt, smiling and eyes shining, all he felt was guilt.   
He quickly looked away from her. “Help us ashore, lad,” he said to Ian, walking away to the other side of the boat. Ian went into the cabin to get their belongings, taking Rollo with him.   
Skylar sighed, watching Jamie all but run from her.   
It relieved her some that Ian had stopped saying, at least out loud, that he was responsible. But for who she thought of as her foster dad to be eaten alive by guilt as well was just as unbearable. Though there was one voice in her head that was telling her there was a different reason that Jamie couldn’t be around her. But she was trying so hard to silence that voice.  
She was brought out of her thoughts by Ian saying, “Would ye give me the honor of helpin’ the beautiful maiden out of her grand ship?” He was standing on the deck where the boat had docked. He bowed to her and held out his hand.   
She laughed and jokingly curtsied back. “The honor is all mine, sir.” She took his hand and he helped her off, which was no more than just an easy step onto a stair that had been put out.   
On the deck, they stood facing each other. Skylar had her arms wrapped around his waist, and Ian held her by the hips. Just looking at him in this brief moment, she could feel herself falling more deeply in love with him than she had been the day before. He felt the same as he bent down to kiss her.   
“Oh! I nearly forgot,” he thought aloud. Skylar watched him as he climbed back onto the boat and went into the cabin. He returned not 10 seconds later, holding a small bouquet of flowers.  
“What’re those for?” she asked as he rejoined her.  
“They’re fer Great-Aunt Jocasta. I thought she might like them.”  
“You are quite the gentleman, Youngin’.” He smiled at her and took her hand, leading them up to where Jamie and Claire had already met with the older woman. They could see she wasn’t that tall but from the way she held herself, she could be the biggest person in any room she was in. She had grey hair put up in a high bun and had a very kind face lined with just the beginnings of wrinkles. If they hadn’t already seen her house, they would be able to tell she was wealthy from her richly designed dress.   
Skylar would be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous to meet Jocasta Cameron. She so wanted Jamie’s aunt to like her. She hoped with her entire soul that she would marry into this family one day, so it was very important that such a highly respected member of the Mackenzie clam deemed her acceptable.   
Jamie turned when he heard them approaching.   
“And this is yer great-nephew, Ian Murray. Jenny’s youngest son,” he introduced.  
“I’m verra pleased te meet ye, Great-Aunt Jocasta,” Ian greeted her, handing her the flowers.   
“Yer welcome, lad,” she said back, her voice very soothing and calm. Skylar was confused why she didn’t take the flowers, or why Jocasta didn’t acknowledge she was there as well. She looked up at Jamie and saw he was just as confused.   
But they figured out what was wrong when the African American man standing behind Jocasta leaned to her ear and said, “Your great-nephew has brought you a posy of flowers, mistress.”   
“Oh, thank ye kindly, Ian. Forgive me,” she said, taking the bouquet. “It is a long time since me sight has left me, though I still see shapes and shadows.”  
“I’m sorry te hear, Great-Auntie,” Ian responded.   
“Oh, fear not, lad. It has been a blessin’. I am now gifted wi’ hearin’ that would be the envy of many’a gossip. And the ability te scent truth from lies, if ye catch me meanin’.” Skylar giggled at that, which caused Jocasta’s head to turn to her. “Is there a younger lass here as well?”  
Skylar’s face flushed and she retook Ian’s hand out of sudden nerves.  
“Aye,” Jamie answered. “This is Skylar. She’s the girl Ian is courtin’.”  
“Thank you so much for allowing me into your home, Mistress Cameron,” Skylar said to her.  
“Oh, yer more than welcome, me dear,” Jocasta replied. “Jamie told me in his letter that yer as much family as though our blood flowed through ye. And bein’ in a courtship with me great-nephew, hopefully ye’ll be an official part’a kin soon.”   
Both Skylar and Ian turned bright red. They glanced at each other, and Skylar let out an embarrassed laugh.  
Claire smiled and told Jocasta, “We’re not trying to rush anything.” They were brought out of the awkward moment with Rollo barking and running past the group.  
“Oh, goodness. Who have we there? Another acquaintance te be made?” Jocasta wondered.  
“Young Ian’s mongrel, Rollo,” Jamie explained. “Take hold’a yer beast, lad.”  
“Come back, Rollo!” Ian called to the dog, chasing after him.   
Knowing catching Rollo by himself would be difficult, Skylar said, “I’m gonna help him.” She looked to Jamie and saw him give her a single nod of approval, looking down. She stared at him a beat longer, then ran after Ian and Rollo.  
As everyone else went inside the massive mansion, the pair tried for a good 15 minutes to get hold of the dog, but it was clear he just wanted to run around and play. So they gave up and sat on the ground. Skylar rested her head on Ian’s shoulder and he placed a hand on her knee, and they both just watched Rollo chase bugs and roll around in the dirt.  
“Can ye imagine growin’ up in a house like this,” he thought out loud, staring up towards the estate. She raised her head to look at it too.  
“You and your brothers and sisters could’ve each had your own room.”  
He chuckled. “Not only the house, but the land with it is so big that we might actually be able te escape Uncle Jamie’s watch once or twice while we’re here.” He kissed her cheek, making her half smile.  
Still looking forward, she answered, “That shouldn’t be too hard considering he won’t even look at me.”  
Ian took her hand, trying to reassure her in a small way. “He’s just angry over…everythin’, Yank. He’ll come around soon.”  
“You don’t, um…y-you don’t think he, he could…”  
“He could what?”  
“You don’t think part of him is angry at me, do you?” She had been thinking this since she first tried to talk to Jamie the day before. She didn’t want it to be true, but part of her couldn’t help but think some of his negativity was towards her directly.   
“How could ye think he would be mad at ye? Ye didna do anythin’.”  
“I was touched by a man in a way an unwed girl shouldn’t be. More than how you kiss me or hold me or whatever. He doesn’t think I’m ruined or something like that?”  
“I can promise ye, he doesna think that at all. Ye needna worry about that fer a moment longer. Ye ken yer as good as his own daughter. He’s angry because ye were hurt and, him feelin’ as though he’s yer Da, it destroys him that he couldna kill Bonnet himself then and there. He doesna blame ye fer anythin’.” He watched as she took a large breath in and let it out slowly, her gaze locked on a random spot in front of her. He could read in her face that she somewhat believed what he was saying, but that she still felt such responsibility for Jamie’s guilt. “That does make me think though,” he said, suddenly changing the subject. “If we are te marry like Great-Aunt Jocasta said,” Skylar turned to him with her eyebrows raised, very intrigued as to where he was going with this, “and ye bein’ more Uncle Jamie’s daughter than anythin’, would he just be me Uncle still, or would he be me father-in-law?”  
Him asking that question so serious and straight faced, like it was really something that was weighing on his mind, made her laugh so purely and wholeheartedly. She fell onto her back, still laughing with her hands clapped over her mouth.  
“I’m just sayin’,” he went on, “If I’m te call him Da one day, I should start now so he and I can get used te it, should I no?” He looked down at Skylar on the ground, laughing joyfully and smiling wide; which was what he was trying to make her do. Her face lit up when she smiled and it was killing him seeing her eyes dim, even for that brief couple minutes.   
When she calmed down, she sat back up. Still lightly giggling, she pressed her forehead into Ian’s shoulder and asked, “Omigod, Youngin’. How do you do that?”  
“Do what?”  
“Make me happy all the time, even when I don’t want to be.” She put her chin on his shoulder and faced up at him. He smiled at her and kissed her, not for long but affectionately.   
He looked back at Rollo, but Skylar stared at him for another beat before resting her head back on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, just enjoying this moment of peace. Unfortunately, that didn’t last long.  
“What in Christ’s name is that?” Ian asked. Skylar looked up and when she saw what he meant her eyes widened and she stood right up.  
“We need to get Rollo inside, like, now,” she told him. Ian followed her action.  
“Why? What is it?”   
Rollo was facing off with a skunk, and Skylar knew this could only end badly.  
Ignoring Ian’s question, she called to the dog, “Rollo! Come here! Come here, boy!” He did not obey her commands. She didn’t want to get any closer to the wild animal than she had to, so she tried again from her spot. “Rollo, come! Come!”  
His curiosity too piqued, the dog stalked closer to the mystery animal and barked loudly at it, making it run away. And, of course, Rollo couldn’t leave it alone. He bolted after it, barking the whole way. His humans just stood, watching the ordeal play out; one being very on edge while the other had no idea what was happening. When the dog had chased the rodent to the end of the dock where it couldn’t escape, Skylar started screaming obscenities in her head as she saw the skunk turn around and lift its tail, spraying it’s foul smelling weapon at its aggressor. Rollo yelped and leapt backwards, proceeding to run back to the lawn and race in circles to try to get away from the stench.  
“Jesus! Fucking hell!” Skylar exclaimed as the odor hit hers and Ian’s noses. She covered her nose and mouth with her hands, desperately trying not to breathe it in.  
“What the hell is that?” Ian cried, doing the same.   
“Just get the rope around him!” He followed her order. He picked up the rope he had retrieved from the boat when they had tried to catch him and nearly tackled Rollo to get it on him. Once he did, he started leading the dog to the house.  
“Shit, don’t go in the house,” Skylar muttered and ran after them. But by the time she caught up, Ian had burst through the front door with the skunked dog.  
“Ian, what happened te ye?” Jamie questioned. Everyone in the room and the next were trying to stop themselves from inhaling the smell.   
“Rollo chased a creature I’ve never seen before, somethin’ akin to a badger, black though streaked with white. Skylar tried te get him away from it, but before she could, it lifted its tail and sprayed a foul liquid from its arse. The stench, it burns me eyes!”  
“Ye encountered a skunk, lad,” Jocasta calmly told him.  
“A skunk? Is that venomous?” Jamie asked.  
“No, just malodorous,” Claire told him.  
“It may as well be venomous! I feel like I’m gonna pass out,” Skylar commented.  
“As luck would have it, me friend John Quincy Meyers is visitin’. He’s a man of the wild who can rid yer mongrel of the stench,” Jocasta said.  
Thank God in Heaven, Skylar thought.  
“Thank ye, Great-Aunt,” Ian said, sighing in relief.  
“Ulysses, will ye ask Myers te meet Ian at the front of the house, near the jetty?” Jocasta requested of her manservant.   
“Yes, Mistress,” he answered.  
“We need to get him outside before he stinks up the whole house,” Skylar told Ian and promptly walked out, him following with Rollo.  
They went down as close to the river as they could. Poor Rollo wouldn’t stop whining. He kept pawing at his nose, trying not to smell either. Skylar and Ian couldn’t help but feel bad he was so uncomfortable.  
Ian knelt down to him and said, “Don’t worry, boy. We’re gonna get ye clean.” He breathed too close to the dog though and the stink made him gag. He stood back up and asked Skylar, “Ye kent what animal that was right away?”  
She nodded. “That’s why I tried to call him back. I know how bad a skunk’s spray is.”  
“They have these up north as well?”  
“Oh yeah. This is one animal that’s all over this country unfortunately.”  
They were interrupted by one of the slaves, who looked to be in his very early 20s, walking over with a large tub and a bag of extra supplies.  
“For the dog’s bath,” he told them as he set both down, not looking right at them.  
“Thank you, um…I’m sorry, what’s your name?” Skylar asked.  
The man had a quick look of shock and confusion over her question, but he brought his face back to neutral quickly. Looking even further down, he answered, “Rufus, Miss.”  
“Thank you, Rufus, for bringing everything out to us.”  
“Is there anything else you’ll be needing from me at the moment?”  
“No, we’re okay. Thank you.” He gave a deep nod and turned and walked away.  
“He was taken from Africa,” Skylar stated when he was gone. “I could hear his accent. He’s not supposed to be here. He should be home.”   
She thought back to when she and everyone had first arrived in Jamaica, and Jamie and Claire stopped her from coming with them to the slave market. She was now very glad they had. Claire had been right, studying something and living it are two very different things. Though she had taken multiple history classes in school that covered slavery in the American South, actually seeing slaves working on a plantation and her not being able to do anything about it to help them broke her heart and made her feel horrible guilt. The fact that Rufus would have been arrested or worse if he had looked her in the eye when he spoke to her was gut wrenching.   
Ian could feel her distress. He didn’t know what to say, so he just held her hand and squeezed it.  
“Is that a wolf masqueradin’ as a dog?” a voice said behind them, bringing Skylar out of her thoughts. They turned and saw a man, looking twice Skylar’s height with a full bushy beard, coming towards them. “I sincerely hope he isna partial te human flesh.”  
“Only if yer thickly bearded,” Ian joked, making the man, who they assumed was Jocasta’s wilderness friend, laugh.  
“Well, I shall take me chances. John Quincy Myers,” he introduced, confirming their assumptions.   
“Ian Murray. And this is Skylar Kelley, me lass.”  
“Very nice to meet you Mr. Myers,” she said.   
“Pleased te meet ye both. Though I wish it was through different circumstances. A dalliance with a skunk is no laughin’ matter,” Myers stated.  
“Trust me, I know. I tried to get poor Rollo away from it, but as you can smell, I couldn’t,” Skylar told him.   
“Yer from here, aye? Ye ken well these sorts’a creatures?” She nodded. “How did ye come te be attached te a Scot then?”  
“It’s a…very long story.”  
Understanding he wasn’t going to get the full story at this moment, he turned back to the matter at hand. “Thankfully, Mother Nature, in all her bounty and wisdom, offers us a chance te wash the odor away, bathing in vinegar.” He gestured to the bucket he had carried with him, which was filled to the brim with vinegar.   
“Well, I’ll do whatever it takes. I dinna wish him te go on reekin’ like the devil’s arse,” Ian said.   
“Such language in front of a lady, lad,” Myers commented.  
“It’s okay. I’ve been known to say much worse myself,” Skylar assured him. The large man chuckled at that, and took off his jacket so it wouldn’t get wet.   
“I’ve been allowin’ my beard te grow,” Ian shared, believing he could relate to Myers this way. “Seems the men of the mountains hereabouts have hearty ones.” Skylar tried to hold in her laugh, but part of it escaped. Ian looked at her. “And what is so funny, then?”  
She smiled widely at him. “I love you, Youngin’, with my entire heart and being. But this,” she said, rubbing his barely there stubble, “is not a beard.”  
“She’s right, boy. Ye’ve a long wait on yer hands. But me, I take after me daddy. My momma does admire a hairy man. Believes them te be a rare comfort on a cold winter’s night, and she’s not the only one. The Indian ladies enjoy me hairs well enough.”  
“Indian ladies like their men hairy?” Ian asked.  
“Well, those I’ve come across certainly do. It is, perhaps, naught but the novelty of me whiskers, come te think of it. Their own men scarcely have bristles on their bollocks lets alone their backsides. Ye take one look at my buttocks, and ye’d think me daddy was a buffalo.” The two men laughed at that while Skylar just rolled her eyes in amusement at the “boy talk.” “My apologies, Miss Kelley. I shouldna speak of such things in the presence of such a bonny young lass.”  
“It doesn’t bother me. I’ve heard this one,” she said, putting a hand on Ian’s shoulder, “and my brother talk about…very similar topics. And fortunately for you,” she turned Ian’s face to hers, “I’m not an Indian woman. I don’t mind my men hairless.” She pecked his lips then went to Myers to help him get ready what was needed.   
“A rare one ye’ve got, lad. Hold onte her. Yer verra lucky,” Myers told Ian.  
“I am indeed,” he agreed, smiling at Skylar. She smiled back, then turned back to what she was doing. “What are they like? The Indians?” Ian went on to ask.  
“That all depends on the tribe,” the mountain man explained. “Some can be friendly, some ye’d do well te stay clear of.”  
“I’ve heard there are Indians that will cut yer heart from yer chest and devour it whole. Is that true?”  
“Well, I can’t say I’ve come across any who do that exactly. But, there are some who scalp those they consider te be outsiders.”  
Skylar felt a shiver go up her back at the thought. She prayed they wouldn’t come across any of those kinds of Natives in their travels.   
“There are clansmen in Scotland who’ll do the same. Ye’ll no see a Campbell and a MacDonald together, not wi’out it endin’ in bloodshed. Indians dinna sound that much different from Highlanders.”  
“That’s a fine way of lookin’ at the world, Ian.”  
Skylar couldn’t help but feel some guilt over knowing what was going to happen to the Native Americans. The Trail of Tears wasn’t going to happen for some time yet, but the tribes and their people were going to face harsh and cruel treatment from European settlers up until then and long after. She wished she could tell Myers about it, maybe he could help prepare the Natives for what was coming. But she knew that was impossible.  
“It’s ready, sir,” a young black boy said to Myers. He had been helping fill the bath with water from the river.   
“Let’s bathe this beast of yers before we lose the light entirely,” he said to the teenagers.  
“Come on, in ye get,” Ian ordered Rollo. As if he knew this would help him, Rollo jumped right into the bath. When he did, water splashed all over the three.   
“Rollo!” Skylar squealed, putting up her hands to try to block the water; but, of course, to no avail.  
As the bath went on, Rollo would not stay still and kept splashing around in the tub. Though their clothes were getting soaked, Skylar and Ian were determined to get as much of the skunk smell off of him as they could.   
After a good 25 minutes of scrubbing, the stench was very faint and they decided they were done. More so, however, because nearly all of the water had spilled out and they had nothing left to wash with.  
Myers stood up, announcing he was going back to where he was staying to change, and that he would be back for the supplies later. Skylar and Ian thanked him profusely for helping them with their dog. He nodded and grinned at them in appreciation, and walked off.  
The young couple headed towards the house, feeling the need to try to get dry as well. They were laughing as they looked over their shoulder back at Rollo rolling around in the dirt and grass trying to dry himself as they walked onto the porch.  
“Is that Skylar and Ian I hear?” Jocasta questioned as they started to pass her. They stopped suddenly, not having realized she was there.   
“Aye, Great-Auntie,” Ian answered. Jamie was with her as well, and among them was another man, dressed in military uniform.  
“Lieutenant Wolff, may I introduce te ye, my great-nephew, Ian Murray, and his lass, Skylar Kelley.” The Lieutenant stood up and bowed slightly to the two. Ian bowed back and Skylar gave a small curtsey.   
“And here I thought I was to only enjoy the beauty of Mistress Cameron while visiting River Run,” he said, taking a few steps towards Skylar. He took her hand and kissed it, which lasted an uncomfortably long time.   
Skylar was all too used to having to tolerate the unwanted attention of creepy older men, remembering her role in the smuggling business in Edinburgh.   
_I’m stupid for thinking that was over with,_ she thought.  
He finally let her go and she immediately grasped Ian’s hand and held onto his arm, as if sending a message she was spoken for would get him to back off.   
“It’s wonderful to make your acquaintance, Lieutenant Wolff. For both of us, I’m sure,” she said, looking at Ian. His face was flushed with the same anger he felt having watched her go through this time and time again in the city. Only this time it was harder to endure now that she was his.  
“Aye, it is,” Ian went on, forcing a polite grin.   
Skylar looked to Jamie, hoping that some miracle had happened in the last half hour and he would be normal with her again. But no such change had occurred. His body stood facing her, but his eyes were directed to the ground.   
She let out a silent breath and just said, “Um, Ian and I were just headed inside to dry off. I’m afraid the bath got on us just as much as on Rollo.”  
“Of course. Ye’ll find Mary inside who’ll take ye te ye te yer rooms,” Jocasta told them.  
“Thank ye, Great-Auntie,” Ian said.  
They were about to go in when Jocasta stopped them again.  
“And Skylar, if ye’ll wait a minute in yer room, Phaedra and I will be in te fit ye.”  
“Fit me for what?”  
“New dresses, me dear. Well, not so new as they’re older dresses of mine. But they’re still lovely and ye’ll want some fine clothes fer while yer here.”  
“Thank you very much, Mistress Cameron. That’s very generous.”  
“It is me pleasure, lass. Now, I ken ye two are anxious te get inside. Go on.” With a final acknowledgement to Lieutenant Wolff, Skylar and Ian hurried through the door.  
They found Mary, an older Black woman who was another of Jocasta’s maids, in the parlor and she led them upstairs. They stopped in front of one door which she told them was Skylar’s room.   
Skylar opened the door to go in and stood in the doorway, her and Ian saying they would find each other later when Jocasta was done with her. He kissed her cheek and followed Mary to his room.   
As Skylar closed the door and turned around, her jaw dropped when she saw the room. This one bedroom was practically the size of Jamie’s whole Edinburgh printshop. To her left, there was an enormous four post bed with a canopy on top of it and the blankets were threaded with deep red and gold. Next to the window across from the bed, there was a large wardrobe that nearly reached the ceiling and a gold framed mirror standing next to it. To her right were two chairs that were upholstered with bright colorful floral patterns.   
She walked to the small table of white and gold set in the middle of the chairs to pick up one of the folded towels on top of it. As she did, she noticed what she knew was a chamber pot underneath the table that looked like it was made out of silver; much more rich looking than the tin ones she was used to.  
 _Wow, that’s a sentence I never thought I’d ever think._  
She wiped off the remaining drops of water from her face, chest and neck. She squeezed the towel along her braids to soak up the water from them and rubbed the towel on the front of her dress and sleeves to try to dry the wet spots. Her scarf, since it was such a thin fabric, was still dripping wet. Since there was no worry about Jocasta seeing the marks, Skylar took off the scarf and put it on the table.   
She walked to the mirror, wanting to see what they looked like. Most of them were gone, but a couple of the larger ones were still slightly visible. She touched them softly, wishing she could just wipe them away. She pulled the front of her dress down a bit to see the ones on her chest. Like the others, only a few bigger spots were still there.  
 _Hickeys don’t scar, right?_ she thought. She knew they didn’t, but a small part of her was afraid that they would never go away and she would have to look at them for the rest of her life and be reminded of that night.   
She looked to the door when she heard a knock.  
“Come in,” she called. The door opened and Jocasta stepped into the room with Phaedra following behind her carrying what Skylar could already tell was a gorgeous dress.  
“We’re not disturbin’ ye, I hope,” Jocasta said to her.  
“No, not at all,” Skylar told her.   
As Jocasta sat in one of the chairs, she said, “I’ve brought one of me favorite dresses from when I was younger te fit fer ye. I do hope ye like it.”  
“It’s very lovely.” Phaedra held the dress up for the girl to get a better look at it. It was floor length with a full skirt, and the neckline was just off the shoulder. The sleeves were three-quarter length and ended in three layers of white lace ruffles. The outer fabric was a pure white with pink flowers all connected by thin green leafy vines, and the under layer was just the white. Skylar was almost nervous to put in on, thinking she might not do it justice.   
She must’ve thought that out loud with realizing it because Jocasta argued, “Nonsense. Ye will look absolutely angelic, I’m sure.”  
It definitely felt very awkward to be undressed by someone she just met. When she had to take her shift off, she tried to cover herself out of modesty, but Phaedra was not the least bit abashed by the sight of the girl’s nude body. It was seeing the bruises on Skylar’s chest and neck that made her eyes go wide. She let out a small gasp but quickly collected herself. She brought her face back to neutral and went about her work. Skylar was thankful Phaedra didn’t comment on them, but having another person pity her was doing nothing to help her move on. But she tried to push all thoughts of her assault away and focus on the gorgeous dress on her body instead.  
The dress was a bit big on Skylar when she first put it on, but Phaedra went right to work at pinning it to take it in. When all the needed pins were placed, Phaedra took Skylar’s hair out of her two braids and let her hair fall loose down her back.   
“And there ye are, Miss Kelley,” Phaedra said, stepping back to get a full view of her.  
“What do ye think, dear?” Jocasta wondered.  
Skylar turned around to face the mirror and she couldn’t hold in her gasp at seeing herself. The last time she had worn a dress similar to this was at the governor’s ball in Jamaica, and then she wasn’t able to enjoy it and didn’t want to wear it. Now, she could actually take in the beauty of the dress and that she didn’t look horrible in it.   
After a beat of silence, Jocasta asked, “Tell me, dear, ye were born here in America, correct?”   
“Yes, I was,” Skylar answered, that being 100% the truth.  
“How is it then that ye were taken in by me nephew in Scotland?”  
 _I knew this was coming,_ she thought. _At least I’ve finally come up with an actual story to tell._  
She turned to face Jamie’s aunt and went on to say, “Well, my parents and I had traveled to Scotland because my father had been offered work in Inverness. We were on our way there when we were put upon by Redcoats. After hearing our accents, they believed us to be Patriots who wanted America to become independent from England and did not allow us to argue. I escaped, my parents did not. And then Fergus, who I believe Jamie talked about in his letter, found me alone on the road and took me with him back to Edinburgh and to Jamie.”  
“I’m heart sorry, Skylar. I ken too well the danger the Redcoats carry.” Skylar could see hurt and sadness on the older woman’s face and in her sightless eyes. She felt bad that her lie made painful memories come back to her. But Jocasta quickly brought herself out of it and focused back on the dress. “So, how are ye feelin’ at this one?”  
“It’s so beautiful. Are you sure you want me to have it?”  
“Quite sure. I’ve no need fer dresses so youthful anymore.”  
“Thank you, again, so much, Mistress Cameron.”  
“Ye’ll please call me yer Great-Aunt? Ye’ll be married inte this family soon enough, so it’s good fer ye te start callin’ me that now.”  
“Oh, um…I-I don’t know about that.”  
“I canna see the looks Ian gives ye with me eyes, but in the few times today when I’ve been around the two of ye, I can feel betwixt ye the deep burnin’ love ye have fer each other. It’s the same feelin’ me sister Ellen had wi’ Jamie’s father. I say wi’ certainty, if ye two are married wi’in a year, I will no be surprised in the least.” Skylar smiled, feeling butterflies in her stomach at the thought of being able to call herself Ian’s wife one day, though she knew that was still far off. “Tell me, Phaedra, how does Skylar look in the dress?”  
“She looks verra lovely, Miss Jo,” Phaedra told her. “The white is quite a flatterin’ color on her. Doesna wash her out at all like we feared.”  
“Ye wouldn’t mind, dear, if I asked Phaedra te describe ye te me?” Jocasta asked Skylar.  
“Oh, uh, no. No, not at all.” Jocasta gestured to her maid to do just that.  
The dark skinned woman looked her over and said, “Well, she’s no taller than ye, Miss Jo. She’s got a nice small waist. A little lackin’ in the chest. I’ve had te take it in quite a bit there.” Skylar rolled her eyes at the comment. “Her skin is verra fair and has eyes blue as the sky. And her hair is neither curly nor straight, more like ocean waves. It’s the color of dark honey and falls te the middle of her back.”  
“She sounds like a beautiful young lady,” Jocasta commented, smiling. Skylar couldn’t help but feel relieved knowing Jocasta approved of her. She felt silly now having worried about that. “We will make sure this dress and a few others are all tailored fer the party at the end of the week.”  
“Party?” Skylar questioned.  
“Of course. I must introduce ye all te me friends and what better way than te host a gatherin’ where ye can meet them all at once.”  
They were interrupted by a knock at the door.   
“Ye may come in,” Jocasta called out. The door opened and Ian walked in.   
“I dinna mean te disturb ye, Great-Auntie. Uncle Jamie only sent me te ask-” He stopped talking when he saw Skylar.  
“What was it ye needed, lad?” the older woman asked when nothing was said for nearly half a minute.  
Phaedra, with a playful smile, went to her mistress and whispered, “It appears yer great-nephew is quite taken wi’ Miss Kelley in her dress.”  
With him just staring at her, not saying anything, Skylar started to feel self-conscious.   
“What? Do I-does it look okay?” she asked, nervous for his answer. If Ian didn’t like how she looked in it, she would immediately take it off and never even think about it again.  
“Yer the most exquisite creature I’ve ever laid eyes on,” he told her. She felt her face get warm as she bit her lip to control the smile spreading on her face.  
“Come, Phaedra, let’s find me nephew and see what it is he wanted of me,” Jocasta suggested.  
“Aye, Mistress.” The two women walked out, leaving the young couple alone.  
“You really like it?” Skylar asked him again, needing the confirmation. “It’s not too…I don’t know.”  
“It’s perfect, as are ye.” He walked to her, and put one hand on her waist and the other under her hair at the base of her head. “Yer like an angel.” He kissed her and she kissed him back, putting her hands on his back.   
As they went on, Ian brought his other hand to her waist as well, and his grip on her tightened. His pace picked up as well. He started to kiss her in a way he never had before, different even from when they would make out. This had a strong sense of wanting behind it; which Skylar returned, feeling it as well.   
He moved his mouth to her neck and kissed her down to her bare shoulder. Skylar’s eyes closed and she took the back of his shirt in her fists. She let herself enjoy this warm and tingly new feeling for a minute until the memory of where they were suddenly hit her.   
“Ian,” she said, forcing his head up to face her. When she did that, he was immediately brought back to reality as well.   
“Sorry,” he said, breathing slightly heavier than usual. “Yer just so unthinkably beautiful, I lost meself fer a minute.”  
“So did I.” She kissed him again much more gently, then said, “Maybe Jamie had a point about not wanting us alone in a room with a bed. If we’re not careful, we just might get into that trouble he was so afraid of.”


	30. Can't We Be 17

The first day at River Run for the four travelers went by very comfortably. The dinner Jocasta presented for them that night was a feast like none of them had ever seen. There was a huge roast beef as well as a turkey with a literal pot of gravy set on the table. There were roasted potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes. For vegetables, they were given choices of green beans, carrots, ears of corn and asparagus. Various breads in baskets littered the table, and there were enough small towers of miniature meat pies for each of them to have their own.   
It reminded Skylar of Thanksgivings she had seen on TV and in movies, never having one of her own when it was just her and her mom or with her foster family.   
She tried to be as polite and ladylike as possible as she ate, though all she wanted was to stuff her face. She glanced at Ian next to her and chuckled at how unconcerned he was at being gentlemanly. He was practically inhaling his food and would barely have swallowed before taking another bite.  
She knew that he had likely never had anything similar growing up at Lallybroch, and that being a reason why he was so skinny. But she still felt a need to put a hand on his arm and say, “Love, slow down a little or you’ll choke.”  
When his mouth was empty, he responded with, “Sorry. Bein’ the youngest’a seven, ye learn te eat fast or ye don’t eat.”  
Jocasta, with a smile, told him, “I can assure ye, lad, we’re no likely te run out of food anytime soon.”  
After dinner, Skylar and Ian brought a plate of leftovers out to Rollo who was being kept outside for the night because of the lasting remnants of the skunk spray.   
The two sat on the porch steps as Rollo ate. Ian had his arm around her shoulders and Skylar rested her hand on his knee. They stared out at the fields in front of them as the sun fully disappeared below the horizon.  
Though it was now getting dark, the slaves were still hard at work and likely far from done for the day. Skylar inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, feeling her heart rate pick up from anger at watching the overseers pay close attention to every movement the slaves made, waiting for any excuse to lash out.   
_Jocasta doesn’t know any better,_ she kept reminding herself. _I can’t be mad at her for that. At least she treats them as decently as she can._  
She felt Ian pry her hand off his knee, not realizing how tight her grip had gotten, and he laced his fingers with hers. He kissed her hand to try to calm her and she gave him a half smile, silently thanking him for taking her out of her head.  
Going to bed that night, Skylar could have cried at how comfortable the bed was. The feather mattress and pillows were a far cry from any of the beds she had found herself in in both Scotland and America so far, or even in the 21st Century. The blankets were also incredibly soft and still light enough so that she was able to stay cool in the heat. She was nervous it was going to feel weird not sharing a bed with Ian after doing so for so long, but she fell asleep before she could notice if it was.  
The rest of the week went by smoothly. Skylar recognized it was the longest stretch of time since Jamie first took her in that there was no trouble after them.  
They were all able to pass their days leisurely, having no important jobs or duties needing any of their attention. Other than, of course, Jamie helping out Jocasta with smaller projects on the plantation, such as what crops would bring the largest profit and where to plant them, or settling minor disputes between community members.   
Lieutenant Wolff became a frequent visitor at the house, along with another of Jocasta’s friends, Farquard Campbell. They would come to offer their own 2 cents into the running of River Run, both used to being the only ones Jocasta would turn to for advice. Their discussions would typically start with both men arguing against Jamie’s ideas, but reluctantly giving in when they realized Jocasta would side with her nephew regardless of what they said.  
Skylar would try to avoid Wolff at all costs when he was around. He seemed to take a special, unwanted, interest in her which he didn’t bother to hide in the way he would look at or speak to her. When Ian was around her, which was most of the time, Wolff wouldn’t directly approach her in order to maintain his appearance as a “gentleman” who would never make advances on another man’s woman.   
However, in the rare instances Skylar was alone, Wolff seemed to have sense for it and Skylar would end up trapped in a one sided conversation. No matter what he would ramble to her about, he would find opportunities to touch her arm, shoulder, hand or lower back. When he would, she would tense, feeling as though it was Bonnet’s hand on her. She would have a major urge to pull from him, but to disrespect a man of high status like that would be detrimental as she was connected to Jamie who was connected to Jocasta. So she would plaster on a fake smile until he left, which was usually only when he was called away.   
When he was gone, Skylar would be frozen in her spot until she was able to bring herself back to reality; that she was at the River Run estate, not on the riverboat. Her heart would start racing and her breathing would pick up, and she could feel a panic attack coming on. She would fight them off each time, using the same techniques of recognizing things she saw or felt to ground her. When she was able to calm herself enough, she would immediately find Ian, who would then hold her and remind her that she was safe.  
She would also go to Claire when wanted to talk out her thoughts and feelings about her assault. Especially the shame she felt that she hadn’t moved on farther from it yet, and that how still being so disconnected with Jamie wasn’t helping.  
During that week, Jamie’s avoidance of Skylar only got worse. If he would walk into a room that she was in, or vice versa, he would make some excuse to leave. Or sitting across from her at dinner, he would look at and interact with everyone at the table but her. Even if she spoke to him directly, he would give the briefest answer he could while looking at his plate.  
This was driving Skylar insane and was only upsetting her more and more. As much as she kept telling herself it wasn’t true, the thought that Jamie was acting like this because he was ashamed of her for letting what happened happen was too powerful and she was almost starting to believe it.  
Not having the connection with Jamie that she had become so dependent on, she felt like she was losing a father all over again. She was so desperate to have their relationship normal again, so she knew she would need to find some way to trap him with her to make him really listen to what she had to say.   
But with Jocasta’s party fast approaching, she needed to focus more on figuring out how to make a good first impression on everyone Jocasta had deemed important enough to invite. Though she knew fully well she was not the one they were coming to meet and would likely not give her a second thought.   
At dinner the night before the party, Jocasta explained to them all that at a point she would be making a speech where she would introduce each one of them properly, and they were to stand with her at the front of the parlor.  
“I’m assuming you mean Jamie, Claire and Ian only, right?” Skylar asked, not in any way hurt that she wouldn’t be formally shown off to the guests. She wasn’t blood, and she figured those actually a part of the Mackenzie line were the ones the night was really for.  
“Of course ye as well, dear,” Jocasta responded, a little shocked at the question. “Ye are family. Ye must be made known te the community as well.”  
Skylar smiled humbly, feeling slightly overwhelmed by how welcoming and cared for Jocasta made her feel. She felt Ian take her hand under the table. She looked at him and saw him smiling sweetly at her, which only made her feel happier.  
Jocasta ended up having three dresses tailored to fit Skylar, all made with bright and beautiful colors and patterns. The young girl ended up choosing her original dress, the white with pink flowers, to wear to the party.   
As she looked at herself in the mirror once she was fully dressed and hair done in some fancy complicated half up half down style only Phaedra could manage, she thought, _I guess this makes up for me not getting to wear a fancy dress to Senior Prom._  
Skylar met with Ian, Jamie and Claire at the top of the stairs. She took Ian’s arm and, as they waited for their cue to go down, his whispered to her, “Yer absolutely stunnin’,” and kissed her cheek, making her smile and blush.   
“And you look incredibly handsome. Even more so than usual,” she whispered back, flattening some of his flyaway hairs and kissing his lips quick while they were still able to. His outfit wasn’t as rich looking as the ones she knew others would be wearing that night with their brightly colored silks or patterned fabrics imported from Europe. But in his simple brown blazer and green tweed vest, he may as well be Prince Charming at the ball to her.   
He smiled shyly back at her in response, and she couldn’t believe his smile still filled her stomach with a million butterflies. Whenever she looked at him and remembered she was his, she wanted to pinch herself to see if this was all some wonderful dream instead of her life.  
But the butterflies turned into knots when she looked at the bottom of the stairs and saw the large number of guests gathering to witness their entrance, already watching and judging her.   
“My friends,” she heard Jocasta start saying, “I thank ye fer joinin’ us this evenin’. And will ye please help me in welcomin’ me nephew, Jamie, and his family.”  
Jocasta gestured to the group, which was the sign for them to move. Skylar squeezed Ian’s arm and he put his other hand on top of hers as they followed Jamie and Claire down.  
 _In through the nose, out through the mouth,_ she thought, though it was hard to stay calm feeling dozens of eyes locked on her.   
The journey down the stairs felt like it lasted a year, but her stomach settled when they finally got off the last step.  
“Please, enjoy yerselves,” Jocasta said to everyone, then she walked into the parlor, the four following.  
Some of the house slaves came out with trays of champagne and food, and the guests broke off into smaller groups around the living space.  
Early on, Skylar was forced from Ian by a group of wives of some of the men, who tried to talk with her about how much they were spending on new dresses and suspicions that their husbands were having affairs with the nannies.   
“Take heed of our advice, Skylar,” one of the women told her. “When hiring a nanny, the older, the wrinklier, the greyer the better. Then you can be slightly more sure Ian won’t stray.”  
“Oh, um, I-I don’t think he ever-” she started to say back.  
“That’s what I thought when my husband and I married. He would never,” another butt in. “But you know how men are, their eye always wanders to the prettiest and youngest in the room.” She aimed the last part directly to Skylar with an accusatory tone and a couple of the others in their cluster looked the youthful young woman over with opinions and judgements, as if she was the girl being warned against who was going to steal their husbands with a glance. Skylar’s mouth and throat suddenly went very dry.  
“Excuse me, ladies,” Ian said, showing up at her side. She breathed a sigh of relief seeing him. He smiled at the other women and went on, “I’m verra sorry te cut in, but I’m afraid I have te steal Skylar away. Me Uncle is wishin’ te discuss an important matter with her.”  
“It was lovely talking with all of you,” Skylar said to her new “friends.” They gave tight grins and nodded in response. Skylar took Ian’s arm and they walked away.  
“I have never loved you more than I do in this moment,” she whispered to him.  
“I could feel ye sufferin’ across the room.”  
“If I ever start to turn into one of those women, I beg of you, Youngin’, kill me.” He laughed at that.  
Not wanting to leave Ian’s side again, Skylar found herself caught up in a group with him, Claire Farquard Campbell and, unfortunately, Lieutenant Wolff, among other members of Cross Creek’s high society, discussing politics; a topic she tried to avoid in 2019, and even more so here in 1767. The subjects being brought up were making her blood boil, but she knew she needed to bite her tongue. She also tried everything in her power to avoid making eye contact with Wolff, who kept giving her lewd looks.  
“I heard they were causin’ trouble at the courthouse in Beaufort,” Farquard mentioned.  
“Ugh, the taxes again. If it’s trouble they want, it’s trouble they’ll get from His Majesty’s army. I’d go so far as to send the Marines if it would help quell the whimpering rogues,” Wolff commented.  
“Tumultuous times ahead,” another man added. He was someone Scottish who’s name Skylar didn’t catch. “Between the Indians and now these Regulators, it’ll be a miracle if we have a chance te make somethin’ decent of this land.”  
“Well, you can hardly blame either group for wanting their voices to be heard,” Claire spoke up.  
“Aye, the Indians were on this land first, were they not?” Ian continued.   
Wolff snickered at Ian’s comment. “How charmingly naïve. If I were you, boy, I would focus less on political matters I know very little about, and put all of my attention on the beautiful young flower that has chosen to be on my arm.” He looked Skylar up and down for the hundredth time and she just gave a pained smile in reply.  
 _I’m going to throw up and I’m gonna do it all over this asshole._  
Going back to the original subject, he went on, “Were it not for the Romans, the good natives of Great Britain would be sheltering in dwellings little better than mud huts today. No roads, no sophistication of any sort. The savages should be thankful we’re here to spare them a similar fate.”  
At that comment, Skylar had enough. She quickly swallowed her near full drink in one gulp and said, “How unfortunate, it appears my glass is empty. Ian, would you please accompany me for a refill?”  
“Of course.” She took his arm yet again and they walked off.   
“Thank you,” she said to one of the slaves as she took a new full glass from the tray he held. She turned to Ian and said as she sipped, “This is outrageous. That man is outrageous. I swear, if he called the Natives savages one more time, I was gonna punch him in the neck.”  
“It’s good we got ye away from him when we did, because I have no doubt ye would actually act on that. Though I’m also findin’ it hard te restrain meself from plain shootin’ him fer how he looks at ye.”  
“I hate people.”  
“Yank, ye dinna mean that.”  
“I do. I do. I like you and I like Rollo and that’s it.”  
“Rollo isna a person.”  
“Thus furthering my point.”  
Their conversation was interrupted by someone clinking on a glass. They turned to the noise and saw it was Jocasta about to make her speech. Skylar set her glass down on a nearby table and took Ian’s hand. The two made their way to the front of the group and took their spots next to Claire.   
Once all of the guests that were able to fit inside the room had gathered, Jocasta began to speak.   
“It has been my honor te introduce me nephew, Jamie Fraser, his lovely wife, Mistress Claire Fraser, me great-nephew, Ian Murray, and his, I’m certain, soon to be betrothed, Miss Skylar Kelley.”  
 _Omigod,_ Skylar thought as she felt her entire body catch on fire at that introduction. She looked at Ian from the corner of her eye and saw he was the reddest he had ever turned.   
They both tried to keep their faces normal as they listened to Jocasta go on.  
“But there is another reason I’ve brought ye together on this fine day.”  
Campbell then called out from the audience, “Mistress Cameron, ye’ve brought out the good vintage. What excellent news this must be,” referring to the wine each guest had been given.  
“Indeed I have, Mr. Campbell.” She continued speaking to the rest of the crowd. “All gathered here have kent fer quite some time that I have been agonizin’ over the matter of te whom I shall leave my beloved River Run. Well, ye need wonder no more. I am pleased te announce that I’ve decided te name me nephew, Jamie, as my heir. It is my intention that Jamie should act as master of the estate immediately.”   
Skylar couldn’t keep her mouth from dropping open at the announcement. She looked right to Jamie and Claire to see their reactions. Claire was working very hard at keeping her face clear of any reaction, but Skylar could see her chest rising from taking large breaths to control herself. Jamie was trying just as much to hide his surprise.  
“I leave River Run in his hands,” Jocasta finished, raising her glass.  
The crowd applauded. Skylar looked at Ian and saw he was as well. She followed his lead and applauded politely.   
While everyone was clapping, she looked into the audience and saw many people whispering to each other and staring at Jamie, trying to size him up. When she saw Wolff and Campbell, she noted that their expressions had a sense of offense. She realized that being so close to Jocasta and so high up in the community, they may have believed River Run would be left to one of them.  
 _Oh please please please don’t let this start anything bad,_ Skylar pleaded silently.  
As the crowd dispersed, she brought her eyes back to Jamie and Claire. She saw Claire give her husband a look that made it more than clear she did not support this, then walked away. Jamie went off to find his aunt.  
Skylar turned to Ian and said, “Well, I don’t know what I was expecting Jocasta to say in her speech, but it certainly wasn’t that.”  
“Did Uncle Jamie ken she was goin’ te do that?” he wondered.  
“Did you see his face? There’s no way he did.”  
“Auntie Claire didna look too happy about it.”  
“She definitely has some thoughts that I’m positive she will share with Jamie.”  
“Do ye think she’ll try te convince him te not accept?”  
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t be surprised. You know how she feels about the…ways and workings of the place.”  
“I hope she lets Uncle Jamie take it on.”  
“Why?”  
“Because if Uncle Jamie owns River Run, ye and I will be able te live here as well. And then we can raise our children here and we’ll be able te give them so much better than I ever had at Lallybroch.”  
Skylar didn’t hear the second half of what he said, focusing on two very important words. “Our children? Youngin’, slow down. We’re only 17. We’re not even married yet.”  
“Ye heard Great-Aunt Jocasta; we’re te be married soon, no?” He smiled at her, trying to play if off as a joke. But Skylar thought she saw something in his expression that made her believe he wasn’t joking totally. In that moment, she realized that he may have actually taken to heart what Jocasta had said and could in fact be planning on at least proposing sooner rather than later.   
That idea made her stomach flip and tighten into one giant knot. Thinking about marrying him before had given her excited butterflies, when she figured it would still be a number of years away. But the reality that she and Ian could be married with a family at this time the next year made her feel more nervous and anxious than excited.   
All she said in response to him was, “Let’s figure out what country we’re going to be living first, okay? We still need to find a time to talk to Jamie.” The two of them had been planning on finding a way to basically corner Jamie to try to convince him to let them stay in America with him and Claire.   
Over the last few days, every time Ian brought up how it was ripping him apart knowing that their return to Scotland was getting closer, she would try to argue the same points she had been using with him, but even she didn’t like or believe what she was saying. And so, with her dreading leaving and knowing there was no way Ian was going to change his mind, she stopped debating it with him and instead they started working on what they would say to Jamie to make him say yes.   
Skylar also thought that forcing Jamie into a position where he had no choice but to look at her and talk and listen to her might push him to start being normal with her again.  
The rest of the party went by as smoothly as it could. Claire was nowhere to be seen, having probably locked herself in her and Jamie’s room. Jamie kept trying to pull Jocasta aside to talk to her about the situation, but Jocasta kept stopping him by introducing him to person after person she thought he should know now that he was in charge of River Run. Skylar saw Wolff sulking in a corner, just drinking and refusing to talk to anyone, which she was more than fine with.  
Ian became bored after a while and said he was going to take Rollo and visit John Quincy Myers. He asked Skylar if she wanted to come as well, but she told him to go on without her. The truth was, she was feeling a little anxious around him and she thought that if they separated for a bit, she would be able to calm down. But she was wrong.  
For the rest of the party and long into the evening, she couldn’t stop thinking about what Ian had said. Though he didn’t say it in so many words, he had hinted that he could be ready for taking the next enormous step in their relationship; and Skylar was not.  
She had been in bed for hours, but she was still wide awake thinking about it. She kept tossing and turning endlessly until settling on her back, staring at the ceiling. The guilt she felt over her confliction was eating her alive.   
_I love Ian. Why wouldn’t I want to marry him right away?_ her brain kept saying. It would then argue back with, _But I’m only 17! I’m not ready for that!_  
She put her hands over her face and let out a loud groan. Having given up on the idea of sleep for a while, she decided that maybe eating something would ease her.  
She got out of bed and put on the expensive real silk bathrobe Jocasta had lent her, and quietly walked out of her room to the kitchen. She took a couple of the cookies left over from the night and poured a small glass of milk. She went into the parlor and sat on the couch.  
As she ate, she stared into the fire that was still blazing brightly and just kept repeating the same sides of her personal debate.   
_This really would be the perfect time for Mom to be here and give me boy advice,_ she thought.   
She held her heart charm in her hand and said out loud, chuckling lightly, “But I bet this is one boy problem you never would’ve expected me to have, huh, Mom?”  
She remembered what Claire had told her, that if she needed a mother figure for anything, Skylar could go to her. She was so wanting to talk this out that she was half debating waking Claire up. But she was interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Out of fear, she stood up immediately and stared at the entryway. Some small illogical part of her brain was telling her it was Stephen Bonnet returning to finish what he started, or Lieutenant Wolff who might try to touch more of her than just her back. She started breathing again when she saw it was Jamie.  
Jamie, obviously not expecting to see her there, jumped back, startled. He recognized her right away though and grabbed his chest.  
“Christ, lass,” he said to her. “I mistook ye fer a ghost fer a moment.”  
“Sorry. I didn’t know anyone else was awake.”  
Jamie just stood looking at her for a moment, actually looking at her. Skylar thought that this might be their chance to talk about the elephant in the room.  
But the moment was too brief. She saw in his face him remembering, and he downcast his eyes from her again.   
“I’ll leave ye te yer thoughts,” he told her. He started to walk out, but Skylar stopped him.  
“Please don’t,” she called to him. He paused in his track, though his back was still to her. She bit her lip, trying to think of what to say. “I’d really like it if you stayed. I think we need to talk about some things.” He didn’t move. But Skylar saw his shoulders go up and down with the deep breaths he was taking. “Please.”  
After a few silent seconds, Jamie slowly turned around and walked towards the couch. Skylar sat down and he sat beside her, a good foot away and his eyes locked on his hands resting on his knees.  
She decided to cut right to the point. “Why can’t you look at me?” He didn’t answer. “Are you mad at me? Do you blame me for what happened with Bonnet? Is that why you can’t look at me?”  
Her words melted his hard focus and he answered, still looking down, “No, Skylar.” His voice was soft but she could tell he was taken aback by her question. “Christ, of course not. That ye’ve been thinkin’ that’s true it…it only adds te me guilt.”  
“Then why?”  
He didn’t say anything for a long time, but he at last said, “When I look at ye, all I can see is that vermin wi’ his hands on ye, tryin’ te…” He couldn’t finish that sentence. He just curled his hands into tight fists, pressing them into his knees. “And that I was just on the other side’a that wall and didna do anythin’ te stop it.”   
“You and the others were asleep and didn’t know. He was quiet. I didn’t even hear him come on the boat.”  
“I should have sensed who he really was when he first came te us. If I had, I coulda killed him right then.”  
“He fooled everyone.”  
“Not ye. He didna fool ye. Ian told me what ye said te him when ye first saw Bonnet. That ye could tell there was somethin’ bad in him and he made ye feel scared. I should’ve…I should have at least been able to pick up on what ye were feelin’.”  
“I didn’t say anything though. You’re not a mind reader, Jamie. I should’ve spoken up. This is not your fault.” She was begging him to believe her, but she could tell convincing him was going to be a lot harder than convincing Ian. “Jamie, please, look at me.”  
First, his eyes moved to look at her from the side, then, still facing down, he turned his head towards her. He finally raised up to look her in the eye.  
She then got to say to him what she had been trying to for a week. “I know that you think what Bonnet did to me is your fault. But it’s not. I need you to believe me on that. And anyways, it’s done. It happened. It’s in the past, and we can’t change anything. We need to mov- I need you to try to move forward from it. Because every time you avoid my eye or leave a room I come into, I know why and then I’m there again. I see him and feel him and, God, if I’m forced to relive it one more time I’m going to have a fucking breakdown!” She blinked back some tears and gripped her bathrobe to keep her hands from shaking at talking about it again. “I’m sorry. I-I don’t want to yell at you or make you feel worse. I just…I want to move on and put it behind me. I need to move on and put it behind me. And not only that. I want you back. I miss you. You know you’re the closest thing I’ve had to an actual father and I need that back.” That last part was what made her voice crack and a couple tears break through.  
Jamie looked at her, his heart breaking as he replayed every word she just said in his head. He moved in closer to her and put a hand on her cheek. He wiped her tear away with his thumb and said, “I’m so sorry, Skylar. I’ve been so occupied wi’ my own thoughts that I havena stopped te realize what ye must be goin’ through, which should have been my only thought. I am so sorry I havena given ye the support and care ye need. It made me so angry that ye were hurt and…I’ve only been hurtin’ ye more. I’m goin’ te change that, startin’ now. Whatever ye need, I am here.”  
Skylar lunged at him and hugged him around his neck. Jamie hugged her back, keeping a hand on the back of her head and stroking her hair. He hadn’t been able to be a father to his own daughter, but he would be the best father he could to Skylar, the girl who was here now, in his arms, and needed him so desperately. As he held her, he vowed nothing would ever hurt her again as long as he was alive.  
When Skylar sat back, she gave him a smile that was small but clearly expressed how grateful and thankful she was for him. He returned it, feeling the same way.   
He could tell she no longer wanted to talk about Bonnet, so he changed the subject and asked, “Now, will ye please tell me why yer not in bed right now?”  
“I can’t sleep. I can’t stop thinking.”  
“About what?”  
She hesitated. She was nervous that if he knew what Ian had talked to her about, he might freak out on him. But she so badly needed to talk to someone about this, and Jamie was right here.  
“Um, Ian kind of hinted that he wanted to marry me.”  
Jamie laughed. “If ye didna ken that by now, lass, then yer more blind than me Aunt Jocasta.”  
“No, I mean, I always knew he wanted to marry me one day. But what he said today made it sound like he’s going to propose, like, soon.”  
“What did he say?”  
“After Jocasta’s announcement, he said he really hopes you do take over River Run so he and I can raise our children here. And when I was like, slow down, what do you mean children, we’re not even married yet, he brought up Great Aunt Jocasta saying we’re going to be, like, any day. He was trying to act like it was a joke but…something in his face and eyes was felt like it wasn’t.”  
“And what do ye feel about that?”  
“I feel…I’m not ready for that. And that makes me feel like I’m the worst person in the world because I love Ian. I love him so much my heart could literally burst just thinking about him. And I’ve fantasized about marrying him and making a family with him for so long, but those fantasies all take place years from now. I mean, Jesus Christ, we’re only 17 years old! And I know-I know people get married so much younger here than they do in the 21st Century. But, is it wrong to want to just enjoy being with Ian and having us be two teenagers stupid in love before jumping headfirst into such adult responsibilities?”  
She took a moment to catch her breath, since she didn’t breathe during her entire speech.   
She finished with, “Anyway, uh, yeah. That-that’s why I can’t sleep.”  
“Yer not wrong and definitely not a bad person fer feelin’ like that. The future is a scary thing te think about, even if it’s one wi’ the person ye love most. With Claire and me, we didna have time te worry about bein’ married since we were thrown inte that verra quickly. But thinkin’ of the life ahead of us, it was excitin’ fer sure and it made me happy te think about it, but it was also terrifyin’. Wonderin’ how I was te provide fer her and our children, where we would live. It made me nervous. It was also somethin’ I thought I wouldna have te think about fer quite a while. I was older than ye and Ian, but I do understand yer wantin’ te be young fer a bit longer before bein’ forced te face the real world head on, on yer own. And it is also like ye said, ye come from a time where these kinds of thing are verra different than they are here. Ian grew up watchin’ his brothers and others around him get married and start their own families at the age he is now. Ye havena. And ye don’t have te do anythin’ ye dinna want te just because ye think ye must.”  
“If he were to propose though, and I said no, I couldn’t live with causing him that heartbreak. But I could be freaking out over nothing. He may not be planning to do anything and he wants to wait too. I want to marry him, I do. I want him and only him forever. Just, in a couple of years.”  
“I can talk te him if ye’d like. See what his thinkin’ is.”  
“I don’t want him to know how I’m feeling about this though.”  
“He deserves te know, Skylar. Even if yer freakin’ out over nothin’, as ye put it, he should know where yer head is at wi’ this.”  
“But what if he…wh-what…he…” She didn’t want to say it out loud to put it into the universe. “What if that makes him not want me anymore?”  
“I strongly doubt that there is anythin’ that could make Ian not want ye. I watched him love ye from a distance fer too long te let ye go that easy.”  
“Is it pathetic for me to not talk about this with him myself?”  
“No. This is a verra important conversation, and if ye need a bit’a help bringin’ it te light, there’s nothin’ wrong wi’ that. It’ll also give me a chance te really learn what his intentions are with ye.”  
She smiled. “Thank you, Jamie.”  
“Like I said, whatever ye need.”  
Skylar leaned against him with her head on his chest, and he wrapped an arm around her.  
“I missed you.”  
He kissed her head and said, “I missed ye too.”


	31. Unthinkable Part 1

When Skylar woke up, she knew she had really overslept. Her room was much brighter, and hotter, than usual, so the sun had to be high.  
She and Jamie had stayed awake quite a while longer the night before, just talking and really getting to know each other. He asked question after question about her life in the 21st Century, and he told her, almost, anything she asked. She was so happy to have been able to have that time to strengthen their relationship, and considering the birds had started chirping by the time they went to bed, she was very thankful no one had woken her up.  
She forced herself from the comfort of her bed and got dressed. She had to literally peel her shift off since it was soaked with sweat and stuck to her skin. She draped it carefully on the back of one of the chairs to let it dry. She then found the thinnest and lightest blouse and skirt she had and put them on. She decided not to wear a clean shift because she knew if she was wearing layers of any kind, she would die of heat stroke.  
 _No one will know unless they look up my skirt. And if anyone tries to, I’ll kick them in the head._   
She picked one of the ribbons Jocasta had given her and tied her hair in as high a ponytail as she could manage to keep her hair off her neck.   
She looked herself over in the mirror, figuring she looked fine, and went downstairs heading towards the kitchen. All she could think about was how hungry she was and she hoped there was food leftover from breakfast.  
As she walked past the parlor, she glanced in and saw Jamie talking to Ian. She paused and watched them. Ian’s back was to the door so he couldn’t see her. But Jamie saw her and from the look on his face when he looked up at her for just a moment before focusing back on his nephew, Skylar knew what it was they were discussing.   
She continued on to the kitchen, not wanting to hover for too long and risk Ian seeing her. She felt nerves bubbling up in her stomach. She wished so much that she could be a fly on the wall in that room so she could hear what Ian had to say about the subject.  
Guilt started to creep back into her mind for not wanting to get married right away. But she tried to drown it out by remembering what Jamie had told her, that she was not a bad person for feeling that way and it didn’t mean she loved Ian any less. It was just a major bit of culture shock that she hadn’t been prepared for.   
When she walked into the kitchen, she saw Claire in there as well, gathering bowls and utensils to make herbs and medicines, Skylar guessed, from ingredients in the medical box Jamie had given her while on the boat.  
Claire smiled at the teenager when she saw her. “Well, good morning. Or should I say afternoon?”  
“Omigod, that was my mom’s favorite thing to say to me every weekend. I would always try to sleep in as late as I could get away with.”  
“So would Brianna. Especially when she was in high school. God forbid I tried to wake her up before noon, and I would get a pillow or book thrown at me.” Skylar laughed at that image. Claire set her stuff down and leaned back against the counter as Skylar picked up a muffin from a still half full platter and started to eat it.  
“So, I heard you and Jamie had a nice talk last night,” Claire stated.  
Skylar swallowed and responded, when her mouth was empty, “He told you?” Claire nodded. “Yeah, I’m so happy I finally got him to really listen to me and we’re able to go back to being normal again.”  
“He also told me about the second part of your conversation that you didn’t seem so happy about.”  
Skylar let out a nervous laugh, knowing what she meant. “Yeah, um…well, that part is being dealt with now so…and God, it’s freaking terrifying not knowing what they’re saying.”  
“I’m sure you have absolutely nothing to worry about. No one, including Ian, is going to force you into something you’re not ready for.”  
“It’s not so much that it’s…it’s that I’m so scared I could lose him over this.”  
“That’s impossible. I don’t think Ian could ever stop loving you even if you killed Rollo in front of him.” Skylar gave her a half smile, trying to believe that. Claire picked up her supplies and walked out, touching the girl’s arm affectionately as she went.   
Skylar finished eating her muffin slowly, then ate a peach in twice the amount of time it would usually take. She wanted to give as much time as possible for Jamie and Ian so they could talk through everything they needed to.  
When she had picked the peach pit practically spotless, she figured she had killed enough time and needed to go out and face Ian.   
She left the kitchen and headed for the parlor. She stopped abruptly when she walked in and saw Ian was not there, but instead Jocasta, Ulysses and Campbell were there with Jamie instead.  
Everyone’s head turned to her and she felt her face heat up. “Oh, um, I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to just barge in.”  
“It’s quite alright lass. Ye’ve interrupted nothing,” Jocasta assured her.  
“I was looking for Ian. I thought he was in here.” She looked to Jamie for an answer.  
“He went off lookin’ fer ye as well,” he told her. “He has somethin’ he wants te talk with ye about.”  
“He does? Okay.” Jamie gave her a small smile that was meant to calm the anxiety he sensed rising in her, but it didn’t do much. She gave a quick curtsey to Jocasta and Campbell and promptly walked out.  
Her heart was pounding as she went from room to room trying to find Ian.  
 _Please don’t break up with me. Please do not be wanting to break up with me,_ kept repeating in her head.  
When she circled back to the parlor, she heard a call of, “Yank!” as she passed the stairs. She looked up and saw Ian coming down. Her stomach settled a bit and her heart started to calm when she saw his eyes bright and his smile taking up half of his face as usual.  
He doesn’t seem angry or upset. So that’s a good sign.  
She met him at the bottom of the stairs and he said to her, “I was lookin’ everywhere fer ye. I thought ye might still be asleep.”  
“If only.” Needing to bring it up but wanting to seem like she had no idea, she asked him, “I passed by you and Jamie talking a while ago. It looked kinda serious.”  
“He said he needed te sit me down and-”  
“Lad,” Jamie spoke, coming out of the meeting he was in right next to them, “if ye and Skylar could take yer conversation elsewhere, I’d thank ye.”  
“Of course. Sorry, Uncle Jamie.” Jamie nodded at Ian in response and gave Skylar a kind look before disappearing back into the room. Ian turned back to her and suggested, “Let’s go outside, aye?”  
“Okay.” He took her hand and they walked off.  
They stopped in the servant’s quarters where Rollo was being kept, knowing he would want to get out and run around. He was very happy to see his humans. He jumped on them and licked their faces, making them smile and laugh.  
They went out the back door into the large expanse of bright green grass with small wildflowers of blue, purple and yellow littered through it. There were tall pine trees that framed the backyard and seemed touch the sky.   
Rollo bounded ahead of Skylar and Ian who were walking at a very leisurely pace hand in hand.   
“So, what was it that Jamie was talking to you about?” she asked, bringing them back to the main subject pressing on her mind.  
“He told me that ye had brought a matter te him that ye felt ye couldna talk wi’ me about.” She held her breath as she waited for him to continue. She focused intently on her feet while she felt him looking at her. “Why did ye not just tell me yer no ready te get married?”  
She swallowed, trying to wet her desert dry throat. “I just-I was…um…I-I, I had thought-I…I don’t know. It was stupid. Do you hate me now?”  
“Hate ye?” He stopped suddenly, causing Skylar to stop too. He dropped her hand. “Why would ye think I’d hate ye?”  
“You-you had said last night…you said we were supposed to get married, like, really soon. And I…I don’t want to yet. You don’t hate me or want to leave me or…whatever?”  
“Did ye take me sayin’ that as a proposal right then?” She shrugged. “Because I didna mean fer it te come out as one. I was jokin’ about what everyone seems te be sayin’ since we stepped foot here. Skylar, I don’t hate ye. Ye should ken by now that there is nothin’ ye could do that would make me not love ye. I don’t need ye te marry me te prove how ye feel fer me. I dinna think I’ll ever truly understand why ye would choose me, but I ken that ye have. And not wantin’ te get married right now doesna make me think ye love me any less. I actually want te wait on that as well.”  
That surprised Skylar greatly. “You do?”   
“I saw many of my siblings be so eager te follow in our parents’ footsteps and live their lives exactly the same. But I want us te be able te have a life that’s just ours that’s excitin’ before we settle down and have a family. I’ve been tryin’ te find a way te talk te ye about that, because I was thinkin’ ye were wantin’ the opposite this whole time.”  
“You know that I do want to marry you, Ian, right? I don’t want anyone else for the rest of my life. But I just am not ready for the whole formal official marriage thing yet.”  
“I feel the exact same way.”   
Hearing these words come from him, relief flooded over her and she felt she could breathe again. They could continue to be happy together and enjoy their still fairly new relationship without any worries about being on the same page about their future. And that was all Skylar wanted.   
Ian continued saying, “Even after I explained all’a that, Uncle Jamie said he still wanted te know my intentions wi’ ye. He said he didna want me te marry ye just so I could bed ye, and that he wouldna hesitate te really beat sense inte me if that was my plan.”  
Skylar laughed. “And is it? Is that the only reason you would want to marry me?”  
“Not the only reason,” he admitted, coming in closer to her and taking hold of her waist.  
She fake gasped and told him, “I am a lady, Ian Murray. You cannot speak of such things to me.” She smiled at him and pulled his face to hers, kissing him deeply. When she pulled from him, she said, “There has been way too much discussion over us getting married since we’ve been here. Let’s just not talk about it at all for a very long time.”  
“Agreed.”  
They then dropped the subject completely and just played with Rollo. They let him chase them and jump on them, and they threw sticks for him to fetch.  
After close to an hour of them being outside, Ian said, “Christ, it feels like it’s 1000 degrees out here.” He wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his dark wool jacket.  
“Well no wonder you’re hot. You’re still wearing your jacket that’s meant for summer in Scotland, where on its worst day you couldn’t even get a sunburn. Here in America, especially in the South, the heat can get real bad real fast. Let’s get this off you. You’ll feel a lot better.”  
She got in close to him, closer than she needed to be, and started to undo his buttons. She had only gotten through three when she suddenly became very aware she was taking a piece of clothing off of him, and the last bit of their previous conversation came into her head again. Though just taking off his coat was a perfectly innocent action, she felt her cheeks get very warm, and not from the sun.   
She realized Ian was likely thinking the same thing when she could hear his breathing pick up and saw his chest rise and fall a lot quicker and heavier.   
She finished unbuttoning the coat and pushed it off his shoulders. As she did, she looked up at him and saw his eyes were locked on her, his pupils having grown very wide despite being in the bright sunlight. He pulled on his sleeves to get his jacket fully off and let it fall to the ground. He put his hands gently but very deliberately on the middle of her back. She watched as he dropped his gaze to her lips, down to her chest, and back up to her eyes.   
“Ye must be burnin’ as well. Is there anythin’ ye want te take off?” He ran a finger just above the waistband of her skirt and played with the one simple button holding it in place.  
His voice dropped nearly half an octave deeper when he asked that, which made tingles and chills spread throughout her whole body. She lowered her look to his chest, placing a hand on him. She traced the opening of his shirt that was tied semi-closed with a very loose knot. She twisted the string around her finger, feeling a major urge to pull it and open the top of his shirt.  
She looked back up at him and the sight of him took her breath away. Back in the 2000s, boys would just look gross and dirty when they would sweat. Skylar never understood the girls who would trample people in the halls after school to watch various sport teams and athletes practice or workout in a smelly gym and just drip with sweat. But Ian was different. He didn’t look gross or dirty at all right now. The beads of perspiration on his face being hit by the sun made it seem like he was glistening and only made him look more beautiful.  
Skylar wanted him, in every way; and having shared a bed with him for so long and them not being able to do anything in said beds made her want him that much more. She would be lying if she said it wasn't excruciatingly tempting to act on those feelings now. It was more than obvious how badly they both wanted it, and they were safe from Jamie since he would be busy for probably hours. Plus the land on the estate was so big that there was no way he’d be able to find them if he tried.   
_There’s people everywhere though,_ she thought with the small part of her brain that wasn’t lost in a thick ardent fog. _If it wasn’t Jamie, someone else would likely walk in on us and that’s a risk too humiliating to take._  
Though her body was screaming at her not to, she pushed back from Ian and forced a playful smile on her face and a normal laugh.  
“I think the heat is getting to our heads, Youngin’. Let’s catch up with Rollo and then we can sit in the shade for a while and cool down.”  
“Aye. That’s a good idea.”  
He picked up his coat and they went to Rollo who was currently jumping to catch a butterfly. They got the dog to follow them to the shade under the closest tree. Skylar and Ian were relieved to be out of the direct sun and sitting on the cool grass. But Rollo didn’t want to sit still. He continued to run around, chasing after squirrels and rabbits.   
The two sat with their backs against the tree. Skylar closed her eyes and focused on taking long breaths. Her heart was still racing from the near indecent moment with Ian. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and looked at him next to her. His eyes were shut too, but his face was twisted like he was upset about something.   
“Are you okay, Ian?” she asked him, touching his leg.  
His eyes shot open and he looked at her hand on him. He swallowed hard and, not looking away from her hand, said, “Aye, um…yes, I’m fine.”  
“You should know by now that I can always tell when you’re lying.”  
He licked his lips and looked at her for a moment. But he then turned bright red and brought his gaze back to the grass.   
She took her hand off him and said, “Youngin’, you’re making me nervous. What is it?”  
“It’s too embarrassin’.”  
“We’re going to see plenty of each other’s embarrassing moments over the rest of our lives. So, out with it.”  
He took a beat, then said, “I’m feelin’ verra ashamed because, back a minute ago when ye were takin’ off me coat, I was havin’ verra…impure thoughts. Of ye.” Ian’s face turned redder with each word he said until he was nearly purple. “I ken we were jokin’ about it before but, I shouldna be thinkin’ of ye like that. Not before we’re married. I shouldna…tempt meself wi’ such things.”  
Skylar tried to hold it in, but she couldn’t help but laugh. She covered her mouth with her hand to stop it, but she couldn’t. She saw Ian get even more embarrassed at her reaction and turned his body a little away from her.  
She immediately felt really bad and tried to explain, “Omigod, no. Ian, Ian, love, I am not laughing at you. Please, believe me. I am not at all. I just think it’s really sweet that you were nervous to tell me that.” She went around and sat in front of him. He was still staring at the ground. “But you don’t have to be ashamed. You’re human, those kinds of thoughts are normal. If it makes you feel any better, I was also having some very impure thoughts about you too.”  
That got Ian to look at her. “Ye were?”  
She blushed and answered honestly, “Yes. And this wasn’t the first time.” Ian’s eyes widened like he was shocked at that statement. Skylar chuckled. “Did you think girls don’t feel lust the same as boys, Youngin’? Because trust me, we do.” She went on her knees and kissed him, placing her hands on the outside of his thighs. She pulled back not half an inch and added, “And we absolutely do not have to wait until we’re married. Because if we do, I think it might just kill me.”  
His jaw dropped when she said that. He tried to respond, but could only let out a few stutters, focusing too hard on trying to control the images flashing in his mind again rather than forming words.  
She giggled at his reaction and pressed her lips to his again and Ian kissed her back, letting that last bit of what she said fully sink in. He went up on his knees and Skylar followed. He put his hands on the small of her back and pulled her as close into him as he could while she wrapped his arms around his neck.   
They continued their kiss very slowly, every movement of their heads and mouths, every breath deepening it and doing nothing to lessen their long suppressed desire. They had made out before with much more fast paced excitement, but this was the most passionate and intimate they had felt with each other since they got together. They felt as though they were getting drunk off the other’s lips.  
They quickly sobered up however when they heard someone cough. They looked and saw Mary standing very awkwardly a few feet away. They bolted to their feet and put some space between each other. Skylar’s face was now as red as Ian’s had been before.   
“I apologize fer…interruptin’. But yer aunt, sir,” Mary said to Ian, “needs ye te bring her medical box te her immediately.”  
“Is somethin’ wrong?” Ian asked.  
“One of the slaves has been gravely injured and Mistress Fraser is tryin’ te help him. And so she needs her medical box.”  
Skylar turned to Ian and told him, “Go, now! I’ll get Rollo and catch up with you.” Ian nodded and ran toward the house, Mary following him.  
Skylar looked around for Rollo but didn’t see him. She ran around to the front, calling for him, and found him drinking water from the river.  
“Rollo! Come here, boy! Come!” Rollo bounded to her and she brought him in through the back door to drop him in the servant’s quarters.


	32. Unthinkable Part 2

When Skylar got back into the main part of the house, she followed the sounds of chaos and Claire’s voice to the dining room. She ran in and stood next to Jamie as Claire gave Ian instructions. Skylar looked at the patient on the table who was writhing and groaning in pain. She paled and felt extremely lightheaded, but not just from the giant hook in the man’s abdomen that Jamie was holding steady.  
Claire glanced briefly at her and said, “Skylar, it’s only going to get a hell of a lot bloodier, so I highly suggest you wait elsewhere.”  
“I know him,” Skylar stated, not hearing what Claire had just said. “I know him. This is Rufus. He helped with Rollo’s bath our first day here.” She looked at Claire and asked, “What happened?”  
“You don’t want to know,” was all she said back. Turning to Ian again, she directed, “Find the laudanum. I need to sedate him.”  
He found it very quickly and handed it off. “Here, Auntie.”  
Claire then said to Rufus, “Here, this will help ease the pain.” She tilted his head up enough to get him to drink it. “A little bit more. A little bit more.” When he had gotten down what Claire deemed was an acceptable amount, she carefully rested his head back down and set the bottle aside. She had Ian hand her the scissors that had been soaking in whiskey.   
She cut the bandage that was holding the hook in place, then warned Skylar again, “You should leave now. I’m about to cut into him and there’s going to be a lot of blood.”  
Skylar didn’t react. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the young man laid out in front of her. The already visible blood was making her dizzy and nauseas, but the thought of how he may have gotten into this situation made it so much worse. She tried to convince herself it could have just been an innocent accident, but she knew that was likely not true.  
When Claire took out the hook and blood started gushing from the wound, everything went black for a moment. But she came right back to when she felt Jamie catch her and pick her up, though her vision was still very blurry.   
She heard Jamie say to Ian, “She’s alright, lad. Ye ken how she is around this sort’a thing.” She couldn’t see Ian’s face but Jamie saw Ian have a look of such high panic and concern when she went down. “I’ll take her to the parlor,” Jamie announced. Ian, intending to follow them, hadn’t even taken two steps when Jamie stopped him. “No. Ye stay and help yer aunt. I have her. She’ll be fine. Dinna fash.”   
He walked across the hall with Skylar in his arms to the other room and laid her on the couch. He touched her forehead and cheeks.  
“Christ. Yer sweatin’ like ye have a fever, though yer chilled.” He took his handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed it on her face. Starting to see straight again, Skylar tried to sit up, but Jamie gently pushed her back down. “No, no, no. Ye need te stay layin’ down right now or ye might faint again.”  
Skylar asked again, needing to know, “What happened to him? How did Rufus get that hook in him?” Before he could answer, Jocasta walked in with Ulysses.  
She immediately asked Jamie, “Will ye please tell me why on Earth yer wife is tryin’ te heal the negro? Did she not intend te aid Byrnes?”  
Jamie stood up and crossed to her. “Byrnes and his men wrongfully impaled the lad. His wounds dinna compare te what was done te Rufus.”  
Skylar forced herself to sit up and said, “So someone really did hurt him with the hook. On purpose.” She felt rage start to build in her very quickly.  
“It is…regrettable that he was treated wi’ such violence. Byrnes and his men will have a price te pay fer their savage deeds,” Jocasta commented. “But Jamie, he must be hangit.”  
“Are you shitting me?!” Skylar exploded, forgetting about how lightheaded she still was. “Those assholes tried to murder this poor man and he’s the one who has to die for it?! Please, someone explain to me how that makes any sense!!”  
Jamie rushed back to her and tried to get her to lay back down. “Skylar, ye mustn’t work yerself up.” But she pushed his hands off her.  
“No! I am not going to calm down! This is outrageous! How are you not screaming right now?!”  
Phaedra only added more chaos by running in and announcing, “Mistress, Lieutenant Wolff and Mr. Campbell have arrived. They wish te speak wi’ ye and Mr. Fraser.”  
Jocasta took a moment to collect her thoughts and plan out her next move, then took a breath and told Phaedra, “Jamie and I will receive them in here.” Phaedra then ran off as quickly as she came. Jocasta turned her head in Skylar’s direction and said, “I apologize dear, but ye must leave us.”  
“Let me get Skylar te her room, and then I will rejoin ye,” Jamie said to his aunt. But Skylar disagreed.  
“I am not hiding in my room. I’ll leave, but I want to stay as close to them as possible.” She pointed across the hall to Claire and Ian still operating on Rufus.  
Jamie couldn’t waste time arguing with her, so he allowed her to sit on a chair outside the dining room.   
“Do not leave this spot, I beg of ye,” he entreated her, then walked right back into the parlor to wait for Wolff and Campbell.  
Ulysses started to close the doors to the dining room, but Skylar stopped him. She asked him to keep one open just enough so she could at least hear what was happening. He didn’t like it, but he kept the door closest to her open an inch. He then waited outside the parlor until Wolff and Campbell came stalking down the hall into the room, not even noticing Skylar as they passed. Ulysses followed them in and closed the doors completely, leaving Skylar alone.  
Sitting still was the worst thing she could do right now. Her mind was racing and she couldn’t slow it down. She was so angry over what happened to Rufus and Jocasta’s reaction to it. She kept saying in her head over and over that this is just how life is in this century. This was the law and everyone was just following what they knew. But that didn’t make her feel any better. It only made everything worse.  
She didn’t know how long she sat in that chair, but it had been so long that it had grown dark outside. She wanted so bad to split herself in two so she could know what was happening in each room. She tried to listen to every sound coming from the dining room, but her focus kept drifting to the sealed off parlor. She was itching to know what was being discussed and the plans being made; though she had a strong sense that it couldn’t be anything that would help Rufus.  
Unable to handle not knowing, she stood up and walked to the parlor doors. She put her ear up to the wood to try to listen, but she couldn’t make anything out. It was just sounds of loud and dangerously differing opinions.  
She had been concentrating so hard on trying to hear what anyone was saying that she didn’t realize all the sounds coming from the dining room had stopped.  
“Yank?” she heard come from behind her.  
She turned and saw Ian. She ran to him and hugged him, so happy for this momentary comfort. He held her tight for a while, then pulled back from her and tenderly ran a hand over her hair.   
“He’s alive,” he told her. “Auntie Claire was able te save him.”  
“Omigod,” she sighed out shakily, grabbing onto his arms for fear her legs would give out from the relief. But the relief was too fleeting as she remembered what was happening in the other room. “He’s not safe, Ian. Jocasta and Wolff and Campbell…they-they’re…they’re saying he has to be hanged for hurting Byrnes. They’re gonna kill him! They want to kill him! They can’t! They can’t kill him! We can’t let them kill him!” The room started spinning around her again and she found it incredibly difficult to take a breath.  
Ian had witnessed her have a couple panic attacks during their trek from Georgia to North Carolina, as well during this past week. He was able to now see the warning signs of one and had figured out a way to help soothe her to stop it before it took over.  
He gently, but securely, took hold of her face with both hands and had her face him, looking directly into her eyes.   
“Hey, hey, look at me. Look at only me. Hear my voice. Right now, we are the only people in the world. I’m here with ye. Yer safe. Yer alright.” He took her hand and held it on his chest. “Feel me heart. Can ye feel it?” She nodded. Her breathing was slowly starting to calm. “Focus on its beatin’, and only that. There’s nothin’ else around ye right now. No other distractions. It’s just ye and me.”  
They kept their eyes locked on each other, both barely blinking. Each beat she felt of Ian’s heart helped ground her until she was breathing normal again and could see straight.  
When she could speak, she said, “I want to see him.”  
Ian right away started to disagree. “Skylar, ye just-”  
“Ian, please. I need to see for myself that’s he’s alive and okay. I’ll be fine.” Neither of them believed that statement, but Ian knew too well that when Skylar decided on something, there was no changing her mind. He just nodded and put an arm around her waist and held her hand with his other, then led her inside.   
The sight was like something out of a nightmare. The hook was still in its bowl that was now also filled and overflowing with blood soaked strips of cloth. Another bowl full of what was once clean water had been dyed red and bloodstains of various sized were spattered all over the white tablecloth. Claire’s terrifying looking tools were spread on the table; some of which she was cleaning.  
Claire looked up at them when they walked in, but went right back to wiping her instruments. There was no point in asking Skylar how she was feeling. The answer was so clear in her face and body.   
Skylar dropped Ian’s hand when she got to the table, stopping at the end of it. Ian went on, looking back at her with concern. But he didn’t say anything and began helping Claire clean up.   
Skylar stared at Rufus as he laid unconscious. Claire had wrapped his wounds neatly, and she knew the 20th Century surgeon had done the very best she could with her 18th Century materials. Tears formed in her eyes though as she thought about how this never should have happened to him. He had had his whole life ahead of him in Africa and he had been robbed of that. Now his fate was out of his control and being decided by people who already had their minds made up.  
She saw his head start to move and he moaned softly. Ian saw it too.  
“He’s stirrin’, Auntie,” he informed Claire. Both Claire and Ian stopped what they were doing and put all their attention on Rufus.   
He tried to sit up but went too fast and grunted in pain. Claire caught him and laid him back down slowly.   
“Here, drink some water,” she told him. She tilted his head to help him drink, like with the laudanum. “It’s alright, it’s alright,” she whispered to him kindly as he let her pour the water in his mouth.   
When he was done drinking, he looked back and forth between Claire and Ian. “Where am I?” he asked.   
“Yer in the main house,” Ian answered.  
“I shouldn’t be here.”  
“It’s alright, Rufus. My husband is heir to this estate, and he and I brought you from the timber camp,” Claire explained. “I removed the hook and I’ve tended to your injuries.”  
“Why did you heal me, Mistress?”  
Skylar felt her heart break at how seriously he asked that question, and it was obvious Claire and Ian felt the same.  
“Why wouldn’t I?” Claire asked back, just as serious.  
“You was there. You know why I was put on that hook.”  
“That doesn’t mean what they did to you was right.”  
“I shed a white man’s blood. Broke the law.”  
“And we’ll sort that out later. From what I can tell, that Byrnes is a son of a bitch. I’m sure you had good reason to do what you did.”  
From where she was, Skylar could see a look of slight shock and confusion come over Rufus. Claire noticed it too.  
“What?” she questioned.  
“I never heard a lady speak like you before.”  
Claire bit back a grin at the comment, but Ian let himself laugh and said, “Ye’ll no encounter many ladies like my Auntie Claire. I’ve heard her speak words fit te make a sailor blush.” Claire just rolled her eyes at that. Ian looked at Skylar who was still frozen at the end of the table and added, “Even the most beautiful woman in the world doesna have the purest mouth.”   
Skylar moved her gaze to Ian and saw him give her a smile that was small but so full of unconditional adoration, and she couldn’t believe that even in this moment of unthinkable tragedy and horror, he still could have that calming effect on her and give her butterflies.  
Claire’s words, however, brought her back to the reality of the situation.  
“Tell me, is there anyone you’d like to see? Do you have family here?”  
“My…my family is Adjumako…Africa. Far, far from here.”  
“Ye were taken from them?” Ian asked.  
“My sister too. Abena. Men forced us from the trees where we played. Parted us on the beach. Forced us to ships larger than anything I had seen before.”  
Claire could tell that talking was using too much of the little energy he had and said, “Shhh, you need your rest.”  
Skylar had been fighting the urge to cry since she walked into the room. But hearing Rufus tell his story of him and his sister made a sob come out. She covered her mouth to hold the rest in.  
Ian went next to her and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him. He gave a long kiss to her head which she laid against him while gritting her teeth so hard to where they might break to keep from crying anymore.  
“You both need rest as well,” Claire told them.  
Ian nodded and looked back at Skylar, her being his first concern over going to bed himself.   
Claire walked to them and said to Ian, “Before you turn in, have someone come down and help me bring Rufus to my bedroom. He’ll be more comfortable there.”  
“I will, Auntie.”  
Claire touched his arm, silently thanking him for all of his help. She looked at Skylar, still staring at Rufus and her face hard from holding back so many emotions.   
Claire tried to reassure her, saying, “I promise you, Skylar. Jamie is doing everything he can to help. You know he won’t go down without a fight.” Skylar just nodded. Claire then turned back to Ian. “Make sure she sleeps, and don’t leave her alone.”  
“I wasna goin’ te. Goodnight, Auntie.”  
“Goodnight.”  
He carefully turned Skylar around and led her to her room. She felt like a zombie, just letting Ian guide her to wherever they were going. She hardly noticed when they stopped as they passed another of Jocasta’s houseslaves and Ian sent him to Claire.  
When Ian opened the door to her room and brought them inside, she suddenly returned to her body. He closed the door behind them and when he turned back to her, she let out all of the emotion she had been holding in for the last few hours. She was so far past the feeling of angry that she started crying hysterically. She sobbed so hard she couldn’t keep herself upright. Ian went to her and held her against him.   
“Sky, ye have te try te calm down. Yer goin’ te make yerself sick.” He tried to get her to sit on the edge of her bed, but she immediately stood back up.   
She started screaming, “I already am! I’m fucking disgusted by these racist-ass bastards! I don’t understand! I don’t understand why these goddamn assholes think they’re so high and mighty and better than anyone else!” She paused to try to catch her breath. She then went on, not as loud but still boiling with rage. “He is a person. That man is a human being and they just treat him like an animal. Worse than an animal. How someone can actually believe owning another human like property, acting like they’re just wastes of space and their lives have no worth, is at all okay is so far beyond my realm of understanding.”  
Ian, who was still sitting on the bed just listening to her, responded with, “I agree absolutely with eveythin’ ye sayin’. It isna right in the least how these people are bein’ treated, and hopefully one day everyone will see that and it will change. But this is how the world is, Yank. It’s the same thinkin’ everywhere and there’s naught we can do about that. People dinna ken any different.”  
“I do! I know different! In my time, slavery is gone! Dead and gone for 200 years!” She turned her back to him and crossed her arms.  
“What are ye talkin’ about, 200 years? What do ye mean ‘yer time’?”  
Skylar froze and her stomach went into her throat. In her fury, she didn’t think and hadn’t heard what she had said until after she said it. She felt herself get very cold and she was certain she was about to throw up.  
She closed her eyes, whispering, “Shit.” She didn’t say anything for an uncomfortable amount of time, thinking that maybe if she didn’t acknowledge it, he would forget it. He didn’t.  
“Skylar, what do ye mean ‘in yer time’?” he asked again.  
After debating with herself for another long silent beat, she slowly turned to face him. He was now standing and staring at her with no idea whatsoever of what she was about to say. She felt very dizzy and her vision was slightly hazy.  
“Ian, um…” She cleared her throat and swallowed hard. She looked down at the floor, too scared to look him in the eye to explain this. She felt her hands shaking and held them together in front of her.   
_This is it. You can’t get out of this. You’ve known you needed to tell him and now is the time._   
She licked her lips, trying to plan out the words in her head, and took a large slow breath.  
“Ian…I-I…I’m…I’m not, from here.”  
“I ken that. Ye told me yer from further north.”  
“I don’t mean North Carolina. I’m from up north, but not the north of this time.”  
He still didn’t grasp what she was trying to get out. “What are ye sayin’?”  
“I’m not from this…century. I was born December 9, 2003, in the 21st Century. And I came here from the year 2019.”  
She still was very hesitant to look at him. She assumed that he was afraid of her or angry and she couldn’t bear to see him look at her like that. She kept her gaze to the floor, just waiting to hear him walk out. But when that didn’t happen, she made herself look up.  
His face was as white as a ghost and his eyes were so wide they could have fallen out of his face. She could tell his thoughts were racing and he was trying to wrap his mind around what she had just told him. But there was no hint of fear or anger.   
She didn’t want to say anything else until he spoke, so she waited.  
He finally asked, “How?”  
She was confused. “What?”  
“How did it happen?”  
Skylar could’ve been knocked over if someone just coughed in her direction at hearing his question.  
“Are you…a-are you say…do you believe me?”  
“What reason would ye have te lie about this?”  
“But you-you don’t think I’m, um, that I’m insane and need to be locked up? Or that I’m a witch or something?”  
Ian gave her a comforting small smile. “I know ye too well te not have figured out if yer mad by now. And though ye do things like jump off of ships inte the open ocean, yer not mad. And there’s no chance of ye bein’ a witch, because if ye were, I would hope ye would’ve used a spell to find me in Jamaica faster than ye actually did.” He chuckled lightly.  
Seeing his real reaction be so drastically different than what she was so sure it was going to be, the thousand pound weight that had been on her chest was lifted. The vast feeling of relief made her start crying all over again and she fell to the floor. Ian rushed to her and knelt in front of her.  
He held her upper arms and asked, very worriedly, “Are ye alright? What’s the matter? Why are ye cryin’?”  
“I was so scared.”  
“Of what?”  
“Of telling you the truth. I thought that if you knew I’m from the future, you’d be so afraid of me or think I’m so completely out of my mind, and you’d want nothing to do with me and you’d leave me.”  
He gave a dry laugh. “I ken now why ye were so upset wi’ me fer thinkin’ I’d lose ye if I told ye about Geillis. Because the idea that there is anythin’ ye could do that would make me not want ye with a burnin’ in me soul is the most absurd string of words that anyone to ever exist has uttered. We discussed this earlier teday and yet ye still thought that a small thing like bein’ from a time 200 years from now would stop me from lovin’ ye?” She let out a quick laugh at the comment. “Why didn’t ye tell me before?”  
“There was never a right time, and I don’t think saying you’re a time traveler is the best way to make a good first impression.”  
“I do really want te know how ye came te be here, if ye don’t mind tellin’ it.”  
“I don’t mind.” She let him help her stand and they sat back on the bed. “Well, a bit over a year ago, I went on a trip to Scotland with my history class.” As she told her story, Ian listened intently and took in every word she said. It was unbelievable, yet he never doubted a single thing she told him. He had heard similar tales growing up of people disappearing and ending up in different lands or worlds. He had always thought they were fascinating. But he never expected to ever meet someone who had actually lived through one of those tales.   
“And ye didna want te go back?” he asked when she had finished.  
“No. I had felt, and still do feel, more at home here than I ever did in the 21st Century. And then after meeting you, I knew even more that it was the right choice and that I belonged here.” She smiled at him and he smiled back, taking her hand and holding it on his thigh.   
“So, yer parents. They werena killed by Redcoats then?”  
She shook her head. “My mom died when I was 14. She was very sick. She did give me my necklace though, for my birthday right before.” She touched the charm.   
“And yer Da?”  
“I don’t even feel like I had one. He left me and my mom when I was very little and I barely saw him after that. Jamie is ten times more my father than the man who helped make me, and I love Jamie as though he were. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”   
“Ye dinna have te apologize fer anythin’. I’m verra happy ye did though. I just canna believe the woman I love is a fairy straight out of a fairy tale.” She laughed heartily at that. “And now we both know that we can tell each other everythin’. We dinna need te hide anythin’. I love ye unconditionally.”  
“And I, you.” Ian leaned in to kiss her and she, of course, returned it. They let themselves enjoy this moment, but they jumped apart when they heard the loud sound of glass shattering.  
“What was that?” she questioned nervously. They had nearly forgotten what was happening outside the room, and it all suddenly came rushing back.   
Ian jumped up and went to the window with Skylar right behind him. They looked out and saw an angry mob gathered in front of the house. They could see the men were armed with torches, guns, pitchforks, and some carried nooses.   
Skylar took Ian’s hand, trying to find some escape from her fear. Not fear for herself, but for the man she knew they were here for.   
She turned her head to Ian and asked, “Claire brought Rufus to her room, right?”  
“She did.”  
“I should help Claire. There must be something we can do.” She started for the door, but Ian grabbed her hand to stop her.  
“Sky, there’s nothin’ we can do. It’s out of our hands. We can only hope that Uncle Jamie and Great-Aunt Jocasta were able to come te some sort of agreement with Wolff and Campbell.”  
Suddenly, the mob quieted and they heard the muffled voice of Jocasta. They hurried back to the window and opened it to hear what she was saying.  
“My nephew, Jamie,” she spoke, “is preparin’ te deliver him te ye. I assure ye, Rufus will pay fer his crimes. Lawlessness willna be tolerated at River Run.”  
“His crimes?” Skylar exclaimed. “He wasn’t the one who tried to murder someone. The only lawlessness here is the group of idiotic hate-filled morons in front of her.” She continued to listen as Jocasta went on.  
“My nephew, Jamie, is a man of his word. He will deliver the negro at midnight, and no a moment sooner, as was agreed upon by Lieutenant Wolff and Mr. Campbell. I intend te serve justice, as the law commands.”  
“What does that mean, ‘deliver him at midnight’? That’s any minute now,” Skylar questioned. “She’s just going to hand him over? They’re going to rip him apart!”  
Ian tried to assure her, saying, “Uncle Jamie would never let that happen. We just need te wait and see what he’s-” But that was not what she wanted to hear.  
“No! No more waiting! I’m sick of waiting for things to happen and being told I need to stay to the side.” She turned and went towards the door again, but Ian caught her around the wrist, stopping her once more. “Let me go.”  
“What is it yer goin’ te do, Sky? Tell me what yer plan is and I’ll help in any way I can. But I need te know what yer thinkin’ and what it is yer wantin’ te do.” She searched for the right words to say and wracked her brain for any ideas she could think of that would get him to let her go. But she couldn’t find anything. “Ye canna just run inte this blind. I dinna ken how these things are dealt with in yer time, but here, it’s too dangerous. If ye try te act on yer own against this, ye will get hurt or worse. And if anythin’ were te happen te ye, it will kill me. So I’m beggin’ ye, Yank. Please, wait fer Uncle Jamie. If not fer anythin’ else, fer me. Please.”  
They just stared at each other, neither sure of what else to say to get the other to understand their position.  
When they heard the clock start bonging, signaling that it was midnight, they instinctively looked towards the closed door, both of them feeling apprehensive about what was about to happen on the other side of it. When the last stroke went off, there were a few moments of silence that were absolutely deafening. But that silence was quickly filled with the anger from the crowd outside growing and the shattering of more glass.   
Skylar looked back to Ian, pleading with him to let her go. He knew there was no talking her out of this. Though her willfulness could definitely be frustrating at times, it was one of the things he so admired about her and made her who she was. He let go of her wrist and took her hand, saying through the gesture that he was with her for whatever it was she was about to do.  
They both walked to the door and opened it, but they didn’t leave the doorway. They froze in their spots when they saw Jamie coming down the hall with Claire close behind him.   
Skylar’s eyes were locked on Rufus in Jamie’s arms, his body completely limp and lifeless. She moved her gaze to Claire as she passed the door. Claire made eye contact with her but didn’t stop. She kept going and held herself as tall and collected as she could while letting tears fall freely down her face.  
Skylar didn’t understand what had happened or what was going to happen, but she followed them with Ian still holding her hand.   
Jamie and Claire led them outside to the porch where they were met with the mob of bloodthirsty men screaming at them.   
As Jamie knelt down and placed before them the man who was once called Rufus, a son, brother, friend, and fellow living human being, Skylar looked to her right and saw Wolff and Campbell watching him and thinking only that order and balance had finally been restored. She had to restrain herself from grabbing one of their own guns and shooting them with it.   
She shifted her eyes to Ulysses, as well as Phaedra and Mary who had come out on the porch as well. None of them looked away. They watched the law play out in front of them, keeping their faces neutral and unresponsive. But Skylar could see in their eyes the horror and fear knowing that it could easily have been one of them instead.   
Skylar looked back to the action as one of the men put a noose around the already dead young man’s neck and dragged him down the stairs and across the ground as everyone was yelling “String him up! Hang him! Make him swing!”  
So desperate to be the victors, the men brought him to a tree in front of the house and proceeded to lynch him, cheering as they continued to defile him, even after his soul had left the Earth.  
Skylar couldn’t watch anymore. She pressed her body into Ian’s and cried tears she didn’t know she still had into his shoulder.   
Ian, still looking straight ahead, wrapped an arm around her and put his other hand on the back of her head. He wanted to block her and shield her from the rest of the world and the terrors that came with it. She had come from another world that, as far as he was aware, was so different than this one. There, she had been safe from these dangers that she was being forced to face here. After what happened with Bonnet, Ian had made it his mission for the rest of his life that she would never be put in harm’s way or hurt again. And watching the unthinkable acts being performed right now that he knew would be in her head forever, as well as in his, he held her tighter and made that promise all over again.


	33. The Real Beginning At Last

The feeling that loomed heavily in the house in the hours that followed had taken such a drastic turn from what it had been earlier that same day.   
Jamie and Claire stayed awake in the parlor all night talking and figuring out what to do next. After what they had just been through, Skylar and Ian felt it would be better for them all to stay together rather in separate rooms, so they stayed as well for as long as they could.  
They all unanimously agreed they needed to leave River Run. After being part of this horrific tragedy, the estate no longer felt like home and they couldn’t comfortably, or in good conscious, stay any longer.   
Skylar was trying with everything in her to stay awake, but she was so emotionally exhausted that she kept feeling her head drop. She eventually gave in and leaned her head on Ian’s shoulder, closing her eyes.   
Ian kissed her head and stroked her hair. He looked to Jamie when he heard his uncle say, “Ian, take Skylar te her room. She needs te sleep.”  
“Can I stay with her?” Ian asked, hopeful Jamie would understand he only wanted to comfort her and make her feel safe. “I dinna want te leave her alone tenight.”   
And Jamie did understand. “Aye, that’s fine, lad.”  
“Thank ye, Uncle.” He draped Skylar’s arms around his neck and picked her up, cradling her in his arms.   
Skylar was fading in and out as Ian carried her up the stairs to her room. She felt him lay her on the bed and she took his hand before he walked away.   
“Don’t leave,” she said to him, half asleep.  
“I’m just closin’ the door. I’m no goin’ anywhere,” he assured her.  
She forced her eyes open to look at him, but they closed again right away. She dropped his hand and heard him walk away and close the door softly. She also heard him coming back to her and going around to the other side of the bed. She felt the mattress shift as he laid next to her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her so that her back was pressed into his chest.   
Skylar was so past exhaustion that when she was talking, she sounded delirious and a little drunk. “We need…we need talk-talk wi’Jamie.” Part of the plan they had all discussed involved Skylar and Ian still being sent back to Scotland, so they needed to find a way to convince Jamie to let them stay.   
“Shhhh, we’ll do that in the mornin’. Just sleep now, Yank.”  
She wasn’t able to argue. Almost immediately after he said that, she was asleep.  
After what seemed like less than a minute, Skylar woke up, able to see the bright sunlight in the room through her eyelids. Every detail of the previous night played through her head, and she clenched her eyes even tighter to try to stop it, but that only seemed to make it clearer.   
When she finally opened her eyes, she stared at the wall, mesmerized by the now glowing white color of it, almost blinding with the sun hitting it. It was so different than the ominous and dark feeling it gave off less than 12 hours before.   
She rolled over, wanting to see if Ian was awake. But he wasn’t there. She let out a breath seeing the empty space next to her. She wanted to find him and be next to him, so she slowly pushed herself to sitting and sat with her feet hanging off the bed. She tried to collect her mind enough to focus on this day that she was living now rather than remembering what had past and couldn’t be changed.   
Her attention was pulled to the door when she heard it open. She smiled when she saw Ian come in, the simple sight of him giving her some relief from the dark cloud above her head that refused to leave.  
“Yer awake,” he stated when he saw her. “I went down te the kitchen te get ye somethin’ te eat.” He crossed to the bed and sat next to her, handing her the plate of toast with jam and eggs he had fixed for her.   
“That’s so sweet, Youngin’. Thank you.” She touched his face sweetly as an additional gesture of thanks, and picked up the toast and took a bite. She could feel Ian watching her as she ate. She turned her head to him and saw him staring very intensely at her with such curiosity. She swallowed and asked, “What?” It made her feel a little self-conscious.   
“I just have a million questions fer ye. I dinna ken where te begin.”  
“About what?” she followed, genuinely confused.  
“About the future and what life is like where and when yer from.”  
Skylar nearly choked on her toast when he said that.   
_Holy shit, that’s also a thing that happened,_ she thought as the memory of that conversation hit her.  
“I for…I-I actually…after everything that happened last night, I actually forgot that I told you that.”  
“I havena. It’s all I’ve been thinkin’ about. Ye were born over 200 years from now. I canna even begin te imagine what the world must be like.”  
“I’ll tell you anything you want to know the best I can. But not right now. Right now, we need to find Jamie. He wants to bring us back to Wilmington today, so we gotta move fast.”  
“He’s talkin’ wi’ Great-Aunt Jocasta in the parlor now.”  
“Okay, let’s go wait for him.”  
Ian gave a nod in agreement, and the both stood up and hurried downstairs. They stood next to the parlor doors, trying to stay out of sight.   
They could hear the tail end of Jamie and Jocasta’s conversation. Jocasta was very upset they were leaving, but with Jamie arguing they had no other option, she knew there was no way to change his mind. She took Jamie into a side room and out of earshot from the teenagers.   
“What are they sayin’?” Ian wondered.  
“I don’t know, they’re too far away,” Skylar answered. “God, why am I so nervous?”   
“Don’t be. There’s no way he can say te both of us. We just canna back down, no matter what he says. That’ll show him even more that we-”  
“Sh sh sh sh sh, he’s coming.”  
The moment Jamie walked out, Skylar and Ian practically jumped on him.  
“Uncle Jamie!” Ian exclaimed.  
“Jesus! What in the hell-!” he cried, grabbing his chest. When he saw who it was, he looked at them with a very annoyed expression that made it clear he was over their antics. “How many more years are ye two tryin’ te take off me life?”  
“We really need to talk to you,” Skylar pushed.  
“What about?”  
She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She suddenly felt very tongue tied now that they were in front of Jamie and about to plead their case.  
Ian saw her hesitation and went on for her. “We want te stay here, in America.”   
Jamie let out an exasperated sigh. “This discussion is long over.” He walked away from them, but Skylar and Ian were on his heels.  
“Just hear us out,” Skylar called after him, finding her voice again.  
Jamie didn’t stop as he kept talking, “I already told ye no, Ian. I made a promise te yer parents te see ye home safe. Ye belong wi’ them.”  
“Twas a promise ye shouldna have made. I dinna belong te anyone,” Ian argued.  
“Yer both too young te be on yer own.” He started up the stairs, thinking that would end the conversation. But the younger couple followed him and kept on.  
“If we’re at an age where it’s perfectly fine for us to get married, then we’re definitely old enough to live our own lives where we want to,” Skylar debated.  
Ian added, trying to reassure his uncle, “Besides, we wouldna be on our own. We’ll be with ye and Auntie Claire.”   
Jamie stopped on the landing and said decidedly, straight to Ian, “Yer goin’ home,” and continued up.  
“Do ye not recall that ye sailed te France when ye were younger than we are now? By the time ye were our age, ye were fightin’ in a war.”  
“It may have been a war, but the country was civilized. There are savages here and dangers we dinna yet ken.”  
“Dangers we dinna yet ken? And what of those I do ken? Both Skylar and me? The dangers we’ve already faced? Fer just meself, I’ve been set upon by pirates twice, kidnapped, thrown inte a pit, and sailed through a hurricane.”   
The three stopped at the top of the stairs while Skylar added her part, “I ended up on my own in a foreign country knowing no one until I found you and Fergus, I put my body on display to play my part as a traitor to the Crown. I survived the hardest, scariest and most uncertain months of my life sailing across the world. I went through two shipwrecks, I was violated, and just last night I witnessed some of the most unspeakably gruesome acts on a human. We are both more than aware of the dangers in the world and this country.”  
Ian continued, “Before we came here, I saw things through the eyes of a boy. But the things I’ve seen have changed me. I’m no the same lad ye kent in Scotland. I’m a man, free te call the place I choose home.” He took Skylar’s hand and finished with, “And free te make that home with the woman I love and want te spend me life with.”  
“Claire told me it was my choice to stay here or go back to Scotland. I’m choosing to stay here. And remember how I was when Ian and I were forced apart before? I was miserable and basically killing myself. And that was before we were actually together. Keep us apart now and I’ll only be so much worse. Plus, do you really want to put us on a boat together, alone and unsupervised in our own room for, like, three months?”  
Jamie stared at them, his eyes going back and forth between them. His nephew was right. These were not the same kids he took in under his care in Edinburgh. Everything they had lived through these last months helped them to grow up and mature into the strong young adults now in front of him, and they needed to be treated as such.  
He gave them a small smile, almost proud of them for standing their ground unwaveringly.  
“I’ll no stay in yer way any longer,” he finally told them.   
Hearing him say those words and knowing that he really listened to them and was no longer fighting against them, they glanced quickly at each other as they bit back the massive smiles trying to grow on their faces.  
“I’ll write yer mother and father,” Jamie told Ian. He turned to continue on to where he was going, but Ian stopped him; dropping Skylar’s hand and grabbing his shoulder.  
“Hey, a man writes his own letter. Word of my decision te stay in America will come from me.”  
Jamie chuckled. “Go write yer letter then. We leave teday.” He looked at Skylar with her face glowing with joy, and he suddenly felt a wave of paternal happiness wash over him that he would have her around him for a while longer until she and Ian went on their own.   
But he only gave her a simple smile, then left them alone.  
When he was out of sight, Ian turned back to Skylar and hugged her, picking her up and spinning her around, both smiling big and laughing. When he set her down, they shared a long kiss in celebration.   
“Omigod, I can’t believe he actually said yes!” Skylar said. “I mean, I was hoping he would, but I really thought he was still gonna send us back.”  
“I ken Ma and Da willna be too pleased, but I couldna care less. Ye and I can finally start our life together and never answer te anyone but ourselves.”  
“I think Jamie would disagree with you on that. But right now, you can’t waste anymore time. Go and write that letter.”  
Ian smiled and kissed her again, then ran off to do just that.  
Still feeling like she was on a cloud, Skylar went back to her room to pack her things. As she did, she couldn’t help but feel guilty for feeling so happy. After what happened to Rufus, she almost felt like it was wrong for her to feel anything positive, like she didn’t deserve it.   
_I have to move forward from last night,_ she told herself, _just like with the riverboat. I can’t forget about it, but I can’t let it define the rest of my life. I’m allowed to be happy right now._  
When she was done putting her few things in her one bag, she brought it downstairs and put it by the door in the foyer. As she did, she saw Claire come speed walking out of the parlor. Her face looked like she was desperately trying to hold something back. Be it words or some emotion, Skylar didn’t know.  
“Are you okay, Claire?” she asked.  
Claire stopped in front of her. “Yes, dear. I’m fine.” Her voice sounded tense. Skylar looked past her and saw that Jocasta was still in the parlor, and put together that whatever Claire was feeling, Jamie’s aunt had something to do with it.   
“Great-Aunt Jocasta is still in there?” was all she asked, not wanting to push.  
Obviously biting her tongue, the older woman said, “Yes, she is.”  
“I’m going to say goodbye to her then.” Claire just nodded and continued on her way.  
When Skylar walked into the other room, she announced herself, “I came to say goodbye, Great-Auntie.”   
“Oh, Skylar. Come here, my dear,” Jocasta spoke to her, holding out her arms. Skylar went to her and hugged her. “It has been so wonderful te meet ye. I’m told ye and Ian are te sail back to Scotland in just a couple of days. I’m sad fer ye te go so soon.”  
“Actually, Jamie agreed to let me and Ian stay here in America with him and Claire. It was kind of a last minute decision.”  
Jocasta smiled brightly. “Oh, that’s such wonderful news. Then ye must come te visit again soon.”  
“I’m sure we absolutely will. Thank you again for everything. I’m really happy I got to meet you as well.”  
“And ye’ll please send word the moment ye and Ian become engaged? I didna get te see me youngest marry, or my grandchildren. So I verra much look forward te helpin’ plan a gorgeous weddin’ fer the two’a ye.”  
Skylar rolled her eyes, knowing Jocasta wouldn’t be able to see her do that. She couldn’t say she was sick of all the marriage talk, so instead she just said, “I don’t think that’s going to be for a while, but I will. I promise.”  
She then heard behind her, “Oh, I apologize. I didna mean te interrupt.” Skylar turned and saw Ian had walked in, and she gestured him over. Coming next to Skylar, he said, “I wanted te tell ye goodbye, Great-Auntie. Uncle Jamie says it’s time fer us te leave.”  
“It has been a pleasure te have ye in me home, young man. Know that ye are welcome here anytime. The both of ye.”  
“I thank ye truly, Great-Auntie.” He took her hand and kissed it.   
“Go on now,” she ordered the both of them. “Ye dinna want te keep Jamie waitin’.”  
“Goodbye, Great-Aunt Jocasta,” Skylar said to her.   
Jocasta took Skylar’s hand with both of hers and finished, “So long fer now, my dear.” She let the young girl go, and Skylar and Ian walked out.  
When they got outside, they saw Jamie and Claire loading up the wagon and horse Jocasta had given them with Rollo sitting patiently next to the wagon.   
“Do ye need help, Uncle Jamie?” Ian asked as they approached him.   
“Get the last few’a the ropes knotted tight. We dinna want anythin’ fallin’ off,” he instructed.  
Ian nodded and did what he was told, tying the ropes that were holding down the things stored in the wagon.   
Skylar looked to Ulysses, who was adding the last of their supplies to the donkey Jocasta had gifted them as well. She walked to the donkey and pat his neck.  
“And what is his name?” she asked.  
“This is Clarence,” Ulysses answered. “He is as strong and friendly and loud a mule as ever God made.” Skylar laughed.  
“I appreciate it, Ulysses. He’ll serve us well,” Jamie commented. The men nodded at each other. Ulysses bowed to Skylar, which she returned, and he left them to rejoin Jocasta.   
Jamie then directed to Skylar, “Where are ye ridin’, lass? On a horse or in the wagon?”  
“I think I’ll enjoy the wagon while I can. I have a feeling that living in the countryside will give me more than enough opportunity to ride horseback.”  
Ian came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, saying, “Ye dinna want te ride wi’ me on my horse?”  
She leaned her head back against him and put her hands on top of his. She responded, “You could always ride in the wagon with me.”  
“Or ye could dare te put more than an inch of distance between the two’a ye. Unless ye suspect the world will end if ye dinna have yer hand on each other,” Jamie spoke up.  
“That sounds like a risk we really shouldn’t take,” Skylar shot back. She gave him a classic teenage smirk as she tightened Ian’s hold on her. Jamie just gave her a warning look as a reply.   
Skylar knew well that staying in America meant Jamie would continue to watch over her and Ian more than he already had been doing. But to her, that only meant she and Ian would need to be more creative with finding ways of sneaking away and hiding to be alone.  
A horse suddenly neighed behind them, and Ian let go of Skylar when he saw who it was.   
“Uncle Jamie, Auntie Claire, this is John Quincy Myers,” he announced as the man rode towards them.   
“Please to meet you,” Claire greeted him.  
“I’m told it’s thanks te ye we’ll not be travelin’ with a foul smellin’ hound amongst us,” Jamie stated.  
Skylar knelt down next to Rollo and scratched his ears. “Yeah, now he smells beautiful, like flowers.”  
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Claire teased.  
Skylar whispered to the dog, but loud enough for Claire to hear, “Don’t listen to her. You’re perfect.” She kissed his head and stood up, her and Claire sharing a small laugh.  
“What are ye doin’ here?” Ian asked, walking closer to Myers.  
He explained, “Yer Auntie Jocasta tells me yer travelin’ west te Woolam’s Cree. As it so happens, I’m goin’ that way meself. I’d be happy te guide ye inte the Blue Ridge.”  
“That would be most useful. Thank ye, Mr. Myers,” Jamie accepted.   
With a nod from both men, which Skylar had long since realized was the preferred way of communication especially for men, it was time for them to go.   
Ian lifted Skylar to help her onto the wagon, and then went to climb onto his own horse.  
When Jamie and Claire were situated at the front of the wagon, Jamie urged the horses forward and off they went, about to begin their new lives in the new world of colonial America.  
They traveled on as long as they could, stopping every so often to give the horses a break and let them eat and drink water. During one of those breaks many hours later, Ian decided he had enough of riding the horse and joined Skylar in the wagon. They sat across from each other, quietly flirting as they rode. But they always paid attention whenever Myers would talk.  
Him being very familiar with the land, he pointed out anything he knew about and thought interesting enough to share.   
When it was just starting to become twilight, the group saw a large mountain appear in the distance.   
Myers went on to say about it, “That mountain there, the Scots of the region gather there in the autumn te trade after the harvest’s in. I’m sure ye’d find yerselves at home there.”  
“Are there Indian tribes that live there also?” Skylar wondered.  
“Oh, aye. This area once belonged te the Tuscarora, but ye won’t see them anymore. The land mostly belongs te Cherokee now.”  
“Cherokee are great warriors, no?” Ian questioned. Ian had spent a lot of time over the past week with Myers, and he had taught the young Scot as much as he could about different tribes and their cultures; all of which Ian found fascinating.   
“They fight well and they fight with honor. And they do what they must te guard their lands from whoever has a mind te take ‘em.”  
“Dinna blame them,” Jamie said, remembering how after Culloden the Highlanders were stripped of their ways of life and forced off their lands as well.  
“It’s justice fer them. Their way of maintainin’ nvwadohiyadv, harmony on Earth.”  
“Are they going to think that us moving in is going to disrupt their naw-no-now-nowoah…their harmony?” Skylar thought to ask, though giving up on trying to pronounce the word.   
Myers chuckled at her attempt. “If yer able te show yer no threat te them or their ways of livin’, I shouldna think they’ll give ye too much trouble.”  
“Ye speak Cherokee yerself, Mr. Myers?” Jamie asked, referring back to the word Skylar butchered that Myers rolled off his tongue so easily.  
“A bit.”  
Ian, giving a knowing smirk, said, “Mr. Myers has spent time wi’ many an Indian woman.”  
Skylar laughed at the look Claire gave Ian, as if to say, “Not the proper time or place for that.”  
Myers, obviously embarrassed, added quickly, “I don’t recall as I put a number on it. Cherokee women choose who they marry and, before that, who they bed with.”  
Skylar then said very sarcastically, “You mean, the women are allowed to be alone with the men they care about and love, and no one worries about her precious virtue? Wow, what an idea.”  
She didn’t have to look at Jamie to know he understood what she was implying, and she could practically feel him actively not reacting.   
Once it started to get dark, they decided to stop for the night. While Skylar and Claire went to gather firewood, Myers and Ian set up camp, and Jamie tended to the horses. He cleaned their hooves after their long journey and prepared food for the animals.   
When the fire was lit, Jamie and Myers cooked some of the meat Phaedra had packed for them, and they all sat around the fire to eat. Skylar sat with her legs laid across Ian’s, and she fed Rollo, who was tucked against Ian’s other side, almost half of her own meal until Jamie said something.  
“Yer no goin’ te have enough fer yerself, lass.”  
“He keeps begging, and I can’t say no to this face.” She took his snout in her hand and kissed his nose, prompting him to lick her cheek.   
After dinner, when they were all discussing what their next steps were, Myers informed them, “I must part with ye tomorrow and make me way to a tradin’ house some ways north of here. I have tobacco fer the Indians, and they’ll have deerskins fer me.”  
“That’s exciting,” Skylar commented. “But I guess it’s nothing new to you. We’re gonna miss you though.”   
“Don’t fret, lass. I’m very sure we’ll see each other again soon.”   
Ian licked his lips nervously, and turned to his aunt and uncle.  
“Mr. Myers has been kind enough te ask me te go with him,” he said.   
Jamie and Claire both sat up straighter, trying to mask their immediate worry at the idea. Skylar had looped her arm through Ian’s, but pulled it out when he said that in surprise.   
“Ye have nothin’ te fear,” Myers spoke up. “The Indians who come te trade with the settlers are verra civil.”  
“We’ll take the wagon and meet ye at Woolam’s Creek,” Ian continued.  
“When were you going to tell me about this plan?” Skylar asked.  
He paused for a beat. “Now,” he answered.   
“Well,” she went on, “okay then. I’ve never met a Native American before, and it’ll be fascinating to see how they-”  
“Yank,” Ian interrupted her, “I’m goin’ wi’ Myers alone. Ye need te stay with Uncle Jamie and Auntie Claire.”  
Skylar raised her eyebrows. “What?”  
“We dinna ken what dangers may be along the way te the tradin’ house. And I will no risk yer safety in any way.”  
“And you think I’m okay with you risking yourself without me there?”  
“Ian told me ye’d no be happy wi’ this arrangement, but he is right, lass,” Myers defended. “The Cherokee we’ll be meetin’ll be peaceful, but they’ll still be wary of one new face.” He gestured to Ian. “We dinna want te add a second one if we dinna have te. He’s right also sayin’ we may come across some Indian folk who I’m no familiar with and may be…less peaceful or welcomin’. And they willna care if yer a bonny young lady.”  
“This isn’t making me feel any better about you going,” Skylar said to Ian.  
“I’ll be fine. I’ve survived worse, ye ken,” he told her, chuckling. She was not amused, and remembering what happened to him in Jamaica, as he was implying, only made her feel worse about him going on his own. He took her hand. “Love, let me mind be easy knowin’ ye have Uncle Jamie and Auntie Claire te protect ye.”  
Skylar took a breath. “I suppose there’s no talking you out of it, is there?” Ian gave her a small smile.   
“How long have you lived in these mountains, Mr. Myers? You seem to know them well,” Claire asked, hoping his answer would reassure Skylar as well as ease her and Jamie’s own concerns about their nephew.  
He could tell what she was really asking, and told her, “These mountains are old friends te me. And those who dwell around them near enough so too. No need te worry. The lad will be safe. I promise ye, all three of ye.” He looked from Claire to Jamie and ended on Skylar. Skylar just squeezed Ian’s hand, still not loving the idea but didn’t want to stand in the way of something he was so excited about. Ian kissed her hand in response, then looked back to his uncle.  
Jamie seemed at peace with this plan. “Aye,” he said. “Alright. Just dinna get yer head scalped.” Ian smiled wide at his Uncle’s approval.   
Meyers chuckled and stood up, going to check on the horses to make sure they were ready for the next day.  
“Thank ye, Uncle Jamie” Ian said.   
“Go help him wi’ the horses, lad.”   
Ian nodded. He kissed Skylar’s cheek and stood up, calling for Rollo to follow him.   
Skylar watched him go for a moment, then turned back to the fire and ran her hands over her face.  
“I’m sure nothing is going to happen,” Claire told her. “Mr. Myers will watch over him carefully. He wouldn’t put him in harm’s way.”  
“I know,” the girl replied. “But, like how you said worrying about Jamie is nothing new to you, I have a feeling me worrying about Ian will become an old pastime of mine very quickly.”  
“I fear fer Myers havin’ te face yer wrath, lass, should Ian come back with but a scratch on him,” Jamie joked.   
It was quiet for a minute, then Skylar said, “I told him.”  
“Told him what?” Claire questioned.  
“That I’m from the future.” She could see the shock quickly spreading on their faces.  
“When?”  
“Last night, during…everything. It just kinda came out.”  
“Did you say anything about-”  
“I said nothing about you being from another time as well,” she answered, knowing that was the question. “That’s not my story to tell.”  
“And? How’d he take it?” Jamie wanted to know.  
“Really well. I couldn’t believe it. It was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. I was so scared. I thought that this could be the one thing that would make him leave.”  
“I remember telling Jamie the same thing,” Claire said, putting her hand on her husband’s knee. “After I was on trial for being a witch, no less.” She looked at him. “You also accepted it very easily, and it was such a relief.”  
“I had such a trust in ye that I would believe ye if ye said the sun comes up at night, and goes down in the morning. And I still have that same trust in ye.” He looked at his wife with such unrelenting and unconditional love, and kissed her hand. Her smile returned all those same feelings to him, and watching this exchange made Skylar hopeful she and Ian would be the same when they got to be Claire and Jamie’s age.  
“I’m so glad I finally told him. How was I supposed to make a future with him if I kept living a lie?”  
When Ian and Myers rejoined them, they stayed awake a while longer just talking about nothing and enjoying all the stories Myers had to tell. Jamie then announced it was time for them all to get some sleep, as they would be starting off again at first light.  
They spread around their small campsite, all sleeping on the ground.   
After Myers, Jamie and Claire were all asleep, Ian and Skylar were, no surprise, still wide awake. They laid next to each other with a blanket covering them. He held her hand on his chest, stroking it with his thumb.  
“I’m so lookin’ forward te having time wi’ just Mr. Myers and meself,” he said. “I have so many questions te ask him.”  
“Oh, I see then. You just want to get away from me.” She smiled, and her laughing and tone of voice made it clear she was just kidding. “Sick of me, are you?”  
He sat up slightly and leaned over her. “Ye ken verra well that that could never be possible.” He kissed her, then laid back down on his side to face her.  
“This is going to be the first time we’ll be separated since Jamaica though,” she said, rolling onto her side as well.  
“Aye. But it willna be fer long at all. And then I’ll be right back wi’ ye in our new home.”  
“Promise me you’ll come back.”  
“I give ye my word, I will return te ye.”  
“You cross yer heart?”  
“What does that mean?”  
“I don’t exactly know. But it’s just something people say in the 21st century when they really really mean something.”  
“Then, I cross me heart.” He drew an X on his chest over his heart to emphasize it. He used that as a segue into asking, “Tell me more about the future.”  
“What do you wanna know?”  
“Everythin’.”  
She laughed. “That’s like, 250 years worth of information. Let’s start with something more specific. Like, um…people don’t really ride horses to go places.”  
“What do ye use then?”  
“We have these machines called cars. They’re like carriages, only they are much much faster. They’re made of metal and you drive them yourself, without horses.”  
His eyes went wide. “How do ye do that?”  
Skylar thought about it. “Well, there’s this thing called an engine which powers the car. And you put gasoline into it to make it move. But that’s all I can say about that.” She chuckled. “I was not smart at all about cars.”  
“Have ye driven one yerself?”  
“You need to have a license to, and I hadn’t gotten mine yet before I came here. So, no I haven’t. But I’ve ridden in one practically every day of my life.” She could see the amazement in his face and his eyes were shining. She couldn’t help but smile at his wonderment and everlasting curiosity.  
God, I love this boy.  
“Can ye tell me anythin’ else?” She sighed, trying to think of something that was relatively easy to explain. “What about that thing ye told me about, the reason ye got te be here? The high school?”  
“Ah, high school. It might as well be a prison. You’re locked in this building for 8 hours and you can’t leave while you’re being forced to learn everything about everything. English, math, history, languages, literally everything.”  
“Ye said ye were learnin’ Scottish history when ye came. What was yer teacher tellin’ ye?”  
“Before we left for Scotland, we had just gotten up to the Battle of Culloden. But we didn’t get to talk about it much.”  
“I wasna born yet when it happened. Fergus though, and me brother, Young Jamie, when I was older, they would tell me how the Redcoats would come around Lallybroch lookin’ fer Uncle Jamie and suspectin’ me parents of hidin’ him. And whenever they said they knew nothin’ of his whereabouts, the Redcoats wouldna believe them and would arrest me Da. They would always end up bringin’ him back, but this went on fer years apparently. Until Uncle Jamie forced me parents te turn him in. They dinna talk about that time verra much.”  
“I can understand that. It must’ve been the hardest thing they’ve ever had to do.”  
“Does Uncle Jamie know that yer not from this time?”  
Skylar thought hard about her answer to that. She decided to tell him, “No, he doesn’t. He believes what I told you before about how I got here, and with my parents and the Redcoats. So, I would appreciate you keeping this just between us.” She felt slightly bad lying about that, but she didn’t want to risk Ian going to Jamie and Claire about it, and Claire being forced to say anything about her own experience. If Claire didn’t want anyone else to know, that was her own choice.   
“Of course. I willna say anythin’ until yer ready te tell him.” Skylar smiled at him as a thank you. “One more thing?” he then requested. Skylar couldn’t help but giggle a little. He was like a child asking for just one more bedtime story.  
“Okay. Um…courting isn’t a thing anymore.”  
His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “It’s not? What do ye mean?”  
“Well, it’s not called ‘courting.’ When two people start a relationship, they say they’re dating.”  
“Dating?”  
“Yeah, like if you and I were together in the 21st Century, we would dating. And you would be called my boyfriend, and I would be your girlfriend.”  
“Girlfriend,” he repeated, trying to get used to the word. “Yer my girlfriend.”  
Him saying those three words made her smile and for some reason caused a million butterflies to come into her stomach. “I like hearing you say that.”  
“That yer my girlfriend?” Her smile got wider and she nodded. She moved in closer to him and held the back of his head, kissing him slowly. He snaked his arm around her, resting his hand on her back as he kissed her back.   
They pulled apart for a moment and he said cheekily, “I’ll have te remember that word.” He brought his mouth back to hers and their pace picked up, their lips moving against the other’s eagerly. But they were cut off quickly when they heard Jamie grunt in his sleep, reminding them they were not alone.  
“We should sleep,” Skylar suggested, whispering.  
“Yer right,” Ian agreed, also whispering. “If Uncle Jamie were te wake up and catch us as we were, I’d be in trouble.”  
“And there will be plenty of time for that later.” She kissed him one last time, letting it go on for a few moments. When they separated, Ian went onto his back and Skylar curled into him. She put her hand back on his chest, and they both fell asleep, feeling calm and at peace.


	34. Another Among Them

The next morning, Skylar and Ian shared a short goodbye, neither wanting to drag it out and make separating harder than it already was. They knew it was only going to be a few days, not even a week. But to them, any time they had to spend apart was too long, and they knew they would feel unwhole until they reunited.  
But they also knew that the sooner they parted, the sooner they would be together again. They kissed each other quick, and Ian climbed into the wagon. Skylar, Jamie and Claire bid farewell to Myers as well, and they all went on their separate ways.   
Since Ian and Myers took the wagon, Skylar rode with Jamie on Ian’s horse, Finley.   
As they continued on to Woolam’s Creek, they discussed what their futures could possibly look like in this new country. Jamie was justly looking forward to just settling into a peaceful life at last with his family while hoping to find work in the town as a printer. Back in Edinburgh, Claire had had the idea of opening her own surgery so she could properly see and treat patients; and she still thought of going through with that plan. She asked Skylar if there was any path she could see herself pursuing as she got older.  
“Well, I don’t really have many options, do I?” she replied. “People will expect me to be a wife and mother above all else. And I have very limited choices for a career. I could be a midwife or a healer as well or…yeah, I think that’s it. And honestly, neither of those are that appealing. No offense, Claire.”  
“None taken,” Claire answered, chuckling. “I can’t imagine you taking up a position full time around blood. That is one reason I’m glad Brianna was brought up in the time she was though. The 20th Century world is so much more available to her.”  
“So, she could have her own choice of her work?” Jamie questioned.   
“Well, yes. In my time, women have more choices than ever. Yours as well, Skylar, I imagine?”  
“Absolutely. We had a woman run for president in 2016,” Skylar shared.  
In some shock and awe, Claire said, “Really? For president?” Skylar nodded. “How did she do? Did she win?”  
“I’d rather not get into the details,” was all she said back.  
“What is a ‘president’?” Jamie asked.  
Claire explained, “It’s the highest position of power in the American government. It won’t be introduced until after the Revolutionary War.”   
“Was Brianna interested in politics at all, or bein’ in the government as ye say women can be?”  
“No, not as far as I knew. Before I left, she hadn’t made a choice yet about a career path. You know, it’s funny. I’ve always known what I wanted to be. It was clear as far back as I can remember.”  
“Ye were born te be a healer, then?”  
“I suppose I was. What about you, Skylar? Did you have an idea of what you wanted to do growing up?”  
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I was pretty into theatre for a while and thought about maybe trying to act. But I was never too serious about it. I also stopped completely after my mom died. I didn’t have time for it anymore having to take care of my foster siblings. It is the reason I learned to sing though, between being in musicals and begging my mom to let me take voice lessons. So that’s something good that came from it. Did Brianna have any dream jobs when she was little?”  
“No, actually. To be honest, I worried that she couldn’t find something she was passionate about. You know, she’d try something and get bored and move on.”  
“In this time, yer more likely te take up yer family’s work and be thankful fer that,” Jamie commented.  
“Well, she tried studying history like Frank, but then she gave that up too.”  
“She never wanted te be a doctor like ye?”  
“No. No, Frank and Brianna, they…well, they spent more time together. I suppose they had a stronger bond. I think that’s why she chose history in the first place. She wanted to please him.”  
Jamie was trying to hide it, but with her arms around him, Skylar could feel his posture drop and she knew his heart was breaking from hearing how Brianna had been so close to the man who had been given the opportunity to raise his daughter. She wanted to say something about how Brianna would have loved Jamie just as much had she known him, but she knew it wasn’t her place to chime in.   
All Jamie’s response was, “Dinna fash. She’ll find her way. Yer always tellin’ me how sharp-witted she is.”  
“Yes, she is,” Claire smiled at a memory playing out in her head. “But there’ll never be a day I don’t worry about her.”  
Their conversation was interrupted by a roll of thunder in the distance. They all looked up and saw dark clouds were starting to move in.   
“There’s a storm comin’,” Jamie stated. “We’ll abide in a tavern when we reach the town until we have enough coin te put a roof over our heads.”  
“Or perhaps a quaint brothel?” Claire teased.  
Skylar pressed her lips together to keep from laughing.  
Jamie shook his head, smiling. “Will ye hold that over me ferever, Sassenach?”  
“Not forever,” Claire told him with a kind smile, implying that it would be a while yet though before she would let it go.   
“To be fair, I didn’t love it either,” Skylar spoke.  
“How much time did you actually spend there?”  
“Much more than I would’ve ever liked.”  
The three pushed on a couple hours more, then stopped to let the horses rest.  
Skylar groaned as she slid off Finley and sat next to Claire on a log.  
“God, how do people ride horses for days on end? We’ve been at it for, what, five hours, and my thighs are burning.”  
“You’ll get used to it,” Claire assured her. “Unless you want to try side saddle.”  
“I’ve heard of that and it sounds even more uncomfortable. I’ll just build my leg muscles.”  
Jamie took this time to clean Finley’s hooves as they had gotten filled with mud. Claire watched as he removed one of the horseshoes and spoke comforting words in Gaelic to the animal.  
“You love working with horses,” she said.  
“Ye askin’, or purely makin’ an observation?” he wondered as he walked to his bag on the ground a couple feet from him to get another tool he needed.  
“An observation. And printing?”  
“I canna say I loved it. I was good at it. As were ye, lass,” he directed to the teenager.  
“Well, I enjoyed it a hell of a lot more than flirting with creepy old men to get them to but illegal alcohol,” Skylar followed.  
Turning back to Claire, Jamie went on, “It helped te keep me mind agile and me body in good strength too.” He found the tool he was looking for and went back to the horse to finish cleaning his hoof.  
“Will it be enough for you now?” Claire asked, standing and moving closer to him. “I mean, you were also a smuggler and a seditionist.”  
“A man should be settled at my age, ye know? Besides, I thought ye said ye wanted te live in a town in the backcountry. Ye said we’d be safer.”  
“I did. I just don’t want you making this decision because it’s what you think I want.” Jamie looked up from what he was doing, confused where this was coming from all of a sudden. Skylar had a suspicion of who might’ve planted that idea in Claire’s head, remembering how angry Claire had been coming out of her conversation with Jocasta. But again, it wasn’t her place.   
Claire kept going, “There’s a phrase that becomes important in America, the pursuit of happiness.”  
Jamie stood straight. “Ye dinna think I can be happy unless I’m a criminal?”  
 _Oh no,_ Skylar thought. She could sense an argument was coming and she tried to think of some excuse to walk away, but she sat frozen in her seat as Jamie continued.  
“I was an outlaw when first we met, and an outlaw when ye returned. If it was only me, I would live as one again. And when I was old, I would lie under a tree and let wolves gnaw at my bones.”  
“Mood,” Skylar said involuntarily. Jamie and Claire looked at her and she felt her face burn, begging God to open the ground and swallow her whole. “I…I-I…I’m sorry. 2019 me just kinda slipped out. Please forget I exist.”  
Thankfully, the couple moved past her comment and went back to the subject at hand.  
“But it’s not just me,” Jamie added. “It’s ye, and Ian and Skylar. And Fergus and Marsali. Ye understand? I would lay the world at yer feet, Claire. But I have nothin’ te give ye.”  
A huge crash of thunder went off, making them all jump and Skylar let out a yelp. Another followed, and the horses and Clarence were getting nervous.  
“The storm’s upon us. We’ll make camp here,” Jamie decided.  
A thunderclap louder than the last one boomed above them. It scared Clarence so much that he pulled himself free from the tree he had been tied to and ran off.  
“Christ. Stupid mule,” Jamie muttered, watching him go.  
Skylar jumped up. “Clarence, stop!”  
Climbing onto her horse, Claire said, “I’ll go get him.”  
“Claire, he’ll no go far,” Jamie tried stopping her.  
“In that case, he’ll be easy to find.” And she rode off without another word.   
“Claire!” Jamie called after her, but she was quickly out of sight. He stared off at the spot where she disappeared.  
“She’ll be fine, Jamie,” Skylar tried to assure him. “Like you said, Clarence won’t get far. She’ll find him and be right back.  
Jamie still seemed uncertain, but he just said, “Aye. I should finish with Finley.” He squatted down and continued to clean the horse’s hoof as a way to keep his mind busy so he wouldn’t worry about Claire. Skylar knew that was impossible for him to do though.   
“Do you need help?” she asked. She went to his bag and took out the horseshoe and nails she knew he would be wanting. “I can hold the things and hand them to you when you need them.” She stood above him very patiently.   
Jamie smiled. “Thank ye, lass.” When he was done cleaning out as much mud and dirt as he could manage, he looked up at Skylar and said, “Horseshoe, please.” She reached out her arm, giving him what he asked for. “Could ye fetch me my hammer?” He gestured towards his bag.  
She went and rummaged through it until she found the hammer, then brought it back, holding it out to him.  
“Hold onte it fer a minute now. I’ll need it in a moment.”  
Skylar nodded and watched him secure the iron good luck charm back onto the animal.  
“A nail, please,” he requested. She plucked one of the nails from her fist and gave it to him. He placed in in its spot and did that with each one he asked for. “Now I’ll take the hammer.” Skylar held it out to him, once again, and he took it.  
She couldn’t stop herself from lightly laughing as he pounded in the nails.  
“What is it?” he asked.  
“It’s just funny because…well, girls back in my time would spend time with their dads helping to fix cars. And I get to help you fix a horse.” Jamie chuckled at that as well. “Has Claire told you what cars are?”  
“Aye, she has. Are ye disappointed ye’ve a horse instead?”  
She shook her head, petting Finley’s nose lovingly. “No. I’d rather a horse over a car any day.”  
In no time, Jamie had finished fastening the horseshoe back on. He stood up and brought the hammer back to his bag.   
Another loud crack of thunder rolled through, both of them instinctively looking up at the ever darkening clouds. They felt the first few drops falling on their faces.  
“I hope Ian and Mr. Myers are okay,” Skylar thought aloud, feeling some concern over Ian being caught in the storm.  
“Ye needna worry yerself, lass. I’m certain that if anyone would ken how te stay safe in the rain, it’s Myers.”  
They suddenly heard an animal running towards them. They looked to the sound and saw it was Clarence.  
“Oh, thank God,” Skylar sighed, relieved to have him back. But the relief vanished when she realized, as did Jamie, that he had come back alone.  
“Where’s Claire?” she asked, looking around as Jamie went to Clarence and grabbed him by his snapped rope.  
“Claire!” he called out. No answer. He brought the mule back to the tree, securing him more tightly this time.   
Skylar walked in the direction Clarence had come from, also calling out, “Claire! Are you there?”  
She turned back to Jamie when she heard him say, “Dinna leave this spot.” She saw him put his pistol into his belt and climb onto Finley.   
“And where are you going?”  
“I’m goin’ te look fer Claire. I need ye te stay here where ye’ll be safe. Make camp. I willna be long.”  
“When are you all going to learn I’m not the kind of girl to sit and watch and wait? I’m coming with you.”  
“Skylar-”  
She didn’t let him finish. She got onto the horse and sat behind him. “Besides, if you’re so worried about my safety, I’ll be far safer with you than on my own in the middle of the woods.”  
“Fine. But hold on tight te me.”  
She clasped her hands firmly around him. Then, with a flick of the reigns, they were off.  
They hadn’t been riding for more than five minutes when the rain started coming down in buckets. They went about a mile in each direction calling out for Claire, trying to be loud enough to be heard above the torrential downpour.   
After about 20 minutes, they were both fully soaked to the bone and it was getting hard to see through the walls of water falling around them. It was the last thing Jamie wanted to do, but there was no chance of them being able to find Claire in the storm. Horribly reluctantly, he turned Finley back in the direction of their original site.  
He explained to Skylar as they rode back, “We have te wait out the storm. Once it passes, we’ll go out again.”  
There had been a part of her that hoped Claire would be back there waiting for them. And when she wasn’t, her heart sunk.  
When they got down from the horse, Jamie led them to under a large tree. It lessened the amount of rain hitting them, but not completely.   
Skylar sat as close to him as she could to get any sort of body heat. He could feel her shaking like mad, so he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. He held her tight against him and rubbed her arms to try to get her warm.   
She put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She held the charm of her necklace in her shaking fist and said in her head, _Mom, if future you in Heaven can hear me, please please let Claire be okay. Please bring her back to Jamie and me. And please protect Ian if you can. I know John Quincy Myers won’t let anything happen to him, but it can’t hurt with you watching over him as well._  
Somehow, in the middle of the near Typhoon, Jamie made her feel comfortable enough that she fell asleep. She didn’t know when she fell asleep but she knew she had because sometime later, she woke up to bright sunlight and birds singing.   
She sat up, having been laid down with Jamie’s coat still over her, and looked around for the Scot.   
She heard him speak behind her, “I was just about te wake ye up.” She turned her head to him and saw him approaching her.   
“Is Claire back?”  
He knelt in front of her. “No. But after the storm was done, when ye were sleepin’, I went te look fer her again and I found her footprints in the mud. If we follow them, I’m sure they’ll lead us te her. But we have te go. Now.”  
Skylar stood right up and followed Jamie as he mounted Finley. He led Clarence by the rope as they went.   
After not too long, sure enough, Claire’s footprints appeared, just as Jamie said. Their path was more or less a straight line which led them to a small stream.   
“That’s her horse!” Skylar cried when it came into view.  
The moment Finley stopped moving, Jamie jumped off and went to the brown horse. He pet it’s neck and his head whipped all around, looking for any sign of his wife.   
“Claire! Claire!” Skylar yelled, walking around.  
Jamie suddenly exclaimed, “Look!” He crossed back to the same side of the stream as Skylar. “These are her shoes.” He knelt beside them and picked them up, looking them over. “Why would she have gone off wi’out her shoes?”  
“Well, she probably won’t get far without them. We should wait here. She’ll have to make her way back for them.”  
His only reply was a soft, “Aye.” He set the shoes back down and sat on the ground facing the water. Skylar sat next to him.  
She could tell his worry hadn’t diminished at all and she tried to comfort him. “She’s alright, Jamie. Those footprints were fresh, so she was just here. Maybe she went to find food or something.”  
He didn’t respond. Instead, he closed his eyes and bowed his head, reciting what Skylar assumed was a Gaelic prayer.  
When he opened his eyes again, neither said anything. They sat silent, just waiting.  
Skylar felt her presence first. She looked up and saw Claire standing a few yards away from them, her face exhausted but relieved beyond words to have found them.   
A huge smile grew on the younger girl’s face. “Jamie,” she said, touching his arm. She stood up and ran to the woman, hugging her tight. Claire hugged her back, stroking her hair.  
When Jamie saw her, he went right to his feet. “Claire?” he said, like he needed her to confirm it was actually her.  
She gave him a small smile and that was all he needed. Skylar stood aside so Claire could get to her husband.   
They raced the short distance to each other and embraced like they had been reunited after thinking they would never see each other again. Skylar just stayed in her spot, not wanting to crowd their moment.   
“Are ye hurt?” Jamie asked her, holding her face.  
“No,” Claire told him, a little teary. “I’m just so glad I found you. Both of you.” She held her hand out to the girl behind them. Skylar went to her and took it. Claire then wrapped her arm around Skylar’s shoulders, squeezing her.  
“I’m just glad ye had yer wits te come back here,” Jamie said, causing a look of confusion to come across the Englishwoman’s face.  
“Back here? What do you mean? I’ve never been here before.”  
“But, aren’t these you shoes?” Skylar questioned, breaking from Claire and walking over to said shoes.  
Claire joined her next to them, staring at them. “How did you get these?”  
“Didn’t you leave them here?” The older woman shook her head.  
“They were here by the stream, side by side,” Jamie explained. “I wondered why ye’d just gone off in yer stockin’ feet.”  
Skylar saw Claire turn more pale than usual and glance around like she was looking for something. The expression she was wearing made the teen feel uneasy.   
“Did you see anybody nearby? Or anything?” Claire asked Jamie.  
“No,” he answered. “Just yer horse. We had a devil of a time trackin’ ye through the woods. Once the storm abated, we followed yer footprints here.”  
“Me too.”  
Skylar didn’t understand. “Wait, you followed Jamie’s footprints? To here? But we only just got here right before you did and on horseback. He didn’t make any. And what did you mean by anything?”  
“I saw an Indian, or…well, a ghost of an Indian,” she told them.  
“A ghost?” Jamie repeated. Skylar felt chills go down her spine when she said that and could feel the hairs on her arms stand up.  
Claire went on, “I found this skull. I think it’s his.” She opened her bag to show it and Jamie looked inside. Skylar did too and she immediately wished she hadn’t.  
“Omigod.” She took a few steps away from it in order to compose herself.   
“I think he used my boots to lead me – us, here.”  
“I suppose we should be grateful te whatever spirit brought us back together,” Jamie concluded.  
Holding her charm again, Skylar thought, _A Native American ghost is not what I meant when I asked you to bring Claire back to us, Mom._  
She turned back to Claire and asked, “This Indian, he’s not gonna, like, haunt us forever, right?”  
“No, I don’t think he will. I think he only appeared this one time to help me. You don’t need to be afraid.”  
“Still, I say the faster we get to town and out of these woods, the better.”  
“Aye. But first,” Jamie looked back to Claire and pressed his forehead to hers, “ye’ve had a harrowin’ night. Ye should wash. Get some rest.” He kissed her, so happy to have his most precious person back beside him.  
Watching them together tugged at Skylar’s heart, making her miss her most precious person.  
As she waited for Jamie and Claire be ready to leave, she sat by the stream and let her mind fill with thoughts of Ian, smiling at each one of them. Though they had only been apart for 24 hours and probably had less than 50 miles between them, she was ready to have him back. She hoped he had made it through the storm safely, and that he and Myers were nearing the trading house.  
She chuckled to herself imagining Ian asking Myers question after question after question, and the woodsman fighting the urge to put a gag on him.  
His natural curiosity was one of the things she loved so much about him. However, once he found something he was interested in, it was nearly impossible to get him to stop talking about it. But she wasn’t complaining because that was a major part of what made him Youngin’, and she wouldn’t have him any other way.   
As Jamie made a final check to make sure they had all of their supplies secured on the horses and mule, Claire sat down next to Skylar and began to clean the skull.  
Skylar put her face in her hands. “Omigod, that creeps me out so much, I can’t even look at it.”  
“We all have one,” Claire reminded her.  
“Yeah, but ours are still attached to our bodies and covered with skin.”  
“Omigod,” Claire suddenly muttered under her breath.  
“What? Did something crawl out of it?”  
“Jamie!” Claire exclaimed. She stood up and went to him very excited about something. “Do you see this?” she asked him, pointing into the skull’s mouth. “It’s a silver filling, something that won’t be invented for another hundred years.”  
That got Skylar to look up again. “Wait, what?” She sprinted to Jamie and Claire to see for herself. And there on a couple of the teeth were what looked like little pieces of tinfoil.  
Jamie’s eyes went wide when he understood what she was saying. “So, he was-”  
“He has to be someone like me, like us,” she finished for him, looking at Skylar. “Someone who’s traveled through time.”  
“Holy shit. Does that mean there could be more, living here in North Carolina right now?” the younger girl questioned.  
“I don’t know. It’s highly possible.”  
“What do we…what do we do with this? With this information?”  
“I don’t think there’s anything we can do. But Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ, I wish we could talk to him.” She looked back down at the skull of another time traveler in her hands. “Who were you?”


	35. Change of Plans

Three-fourths of the newest group of American settlers traveled for the rest of that day, and by the time the sun had fully set, they arrived in Woolam’s Creek.  
While they had been riding, they came across a view from a passing cliff that was so beautiful it almost didn’t look real. Vast miles of land spread out in front of them as far as they could see. Mountains stood tall in the distance with lush trees leading towards them. There were waterfalls spilling down another and long wide river rushing fast and free.   
It was staring at the picture in front of them that Jamie and Claire came to the decision to forgo living in a town and would instead take up Governor Tryon on his offer of 10,000 acres of land; all of which Skylar wholeheartedly agreed with. They would make their own settlement, which Jamie aptly chose to name Fraser’s Ridge.  
They still continued on to Woolam’s Creek, since that was where they were to meet back up with Ian and John Quincy Myers. Then from there they would go to Wilmington to gather the rest of their things from Fergus and Marsali, and there Jamie would also meet with Tryon to sign the contract for the land.  
When they got to the town, they found a tavern to spend the next few nights in while they waited for the other two men. Jamie sent out two letters that first night, one to Fergus explaining the details of their new plan and that they would be in Wilmington in just over a week. The second was to Governor Tryon to inform him about his decision and to expect him soon.  
Over the next five days, Jamie dove headfirst into making plans for Fraser’s Ridge, some of which included drawing designs for their cabin and deciding what crops to plant and where. He gave Claire and Skylar lists of materials and supplies to buy, not wanting to wait until they were in Wilmington.   
The smith they went to was definitely a bit surprised that two women were coming to him for tools like saws and knives. But as long as they were paying, he didn’t question it.  
They also bought extra food, fabric for clothes and blankets, cheap plates, bowls, cups and utensils, and anything that Claire thought would be useful for her healing. In the end, they had spent well over half the money Jocasta had given them.   
“Well, you gotta spend money to make money, right?” Skylar justified.  
She was glad to have the constant errands. It felt so exciting to start work on their new home, even through something as simple as buying muslin for bandages. It also kept her busy and made the days go by quickly while she anxiously waited for Ian to return.  
On the fifth day, Jamie had sent her to collect the few dozen nails they had ordered from the smith as well. To get to the shop, collect the nails, and return took all of 15 minutes. When she got back to the tavern, she saw a familiar wagon parked in front of it and a smile spread over her face.  
She raced inside and to their room, and when she opened the door, she saw Ian and Myers sitting at the table with Jamie and Claire. Her smile grew bigger when Ian’s face lit up at seeing her.  
He immediately stood up and went to her. She put her basket with the nails in it on the floor so that when he reached her, she could fully wrap her arms around him and hug him as tightly as he with her.  
She nuzzled her face into the base of his neck, since that was what she came up to on him, and said, muffled, “I missed you.”  
He kissed her head and said back, “I missed ye too, Yank.”  
They pulled apart just enough so they could see each other, and they kissed long and affectionately, forgetting that they were no alone.  
But they were reminded when they heard Jamie say to them, “Ye’ve only been apart a week.” Skylar and Ian turned to face the adults, still keeping an arm wrapped around the other’s waist. “Ye act like it was three years ye havena seen each other.”  
“Might as well have been,” Skylar replied.  
“Leave them be,” Claire told her husband, putting her hand on his arm. “I can remember when we could hardly stand to be separated for a single day.”  
Wanting to steer the attention off her and Ian, Skylar asked, “Did you tell Ian and Mr. Myers about our change of plans?” The two sat back down at the table.  
“I was about te, then ye came in and the focus shifted,” Jamie answered.  
“Is there a new plan? Are we no stayin’ here?” Ian questioned.  
“No, Claire and I have decided that we will take Governor Tryon’s offer of our own land and build our home there.”  
“Literally build our home. From the ground up,” Skylar chimed in.  
Though he tried to contain it, Skylar saw her 18th Century boyfriend’s adventurous soul start to shine through. “That sounds a right bit more excitin’ than livin’ in a town,” Ian stated.  
“It’ll be a right bit harder work as well than taking up residence in an already established town,” Claire followed.  
“Aye. But we’re all more than up te the challenge, eh?” Jamie countered, taking Claire’s hand and smiling at her which, just seeing it, made everyone feel like there was nothing to worry about with this definite risk.   
“Where is this land where yer wantin’ te settle?” Myers asked.  
“It’s near the base of the mountain ye pointed out te us. Plenty’a space fer a nice sized house and settlers, fertile soil fer crops by the river which we can use fer clean water and washin’.”  
“We’ll practically be neighbors then. My home is up around that same area.”  
“When do we go?” Ian wondered, nearly bursting at the seams from excitement. Skylar could help but smile at his eagerness, especially since she was feeling the same.  
Claire explained, “We have to go back to Wilmington first so everything can be made official. For that we’ll leave tomorrow. And then after that, we’re free to start.”  
“Wi’ that, I’d best be getting’ back te my own land as well,” Myers announced. “Dinna like leavin’ it unattended fer so long.” He stood up and the others followed.  
Jamie clapped him on the back and told him, “I’m thankful te ken ye’ll no be far from us. It’ll be good te have a friend close who’s so familiar wi’ the area.”  
After Myers said goodbye to everyone, Jamie walked him outside.  
“What was that word you just said to him?” Skylar asked, turning to Ian.   
When saying goodbye, he shook the mountain man’s hand and said, “Donadagohvi.”  
“It’s Cherokee fer ‘until we meet again’,” Ian told her.  
“Has Mr. Myers been teaching you Cherokee?” Claire asked.  
“A little. Just some words, really. Such as, ‘osiyo,’ hello. ‘Owenvsv,’ home. ‘Wahay,’ wolf.” At the last one, he chuckled, looking at their own wolf who had contented himself to sleeping under the table. Ian turned back to Skylar and went on, clasping his hands behind her back. “Myers also helped me learn te say gvgeyuhi and tsawoduhi.”  
Skylar held onto the back of his neck. “What do those mean?”  
“Gvgeyuhi means ‘I love ye,’ and tsawodhui is ‘yer beautiful.’”   
She blushed slightly and a little teasingly asked, “Why would you want to learn those?”  
He pulled her closer to him and said, “So that I’ll have even more ways of sayin’ those phrases te ye.”  
Skylar bit her lip to keep the idiotic grin from taking over her face as she felt the butterflies again.   
“I’ll take that as my cue to leave,” they heard Claire say behind them. The young couple turned around and saw her smiling kindly at them and she started for the door.   
“Ye dinna have te leave, Auntie. We werena goin’ te-”  
“It’s alright,” Claire assured them. “You should enjoy this moment alone because I’m certain Jamie will make sure it’s your last.”  
Skylar rolled her eyes at what she knew plenty well was the truth.  
Claire lightly laughed at her action. “I’ll hold him off as long as I can.” Before she disappeared around the corner, she looked back at the two and said, “The door will be kept open though.”  
When she was gone, Skylar and Ian went into an embrace filled with such love that, even without kissing, it still felt so undoubtedly intimate. They stayed holding each other for a long time, not speaking, just enjoying having the other in their arms again.  
Skylar pulled back from him to look at him and said, “Even though we may not love it, at least now we know we can survive without each other. At least for brief periods of time.”  
“That’s true. And though I didna like bein’ away from ye, I’m so glad I got te go wi’ Myers. Meetin’ some’a the Cherokee was such an unbelievable experience.”  
“Tell me all about it. I want to know everything.”

OUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDER

The next morning, the four set off for Wilmington, and the journey took just over two days.  
Fergus and Marsali were still taking up in The Willow Tree, the tavern that they all originally had stayed in when they first arrived in North Carolina.   
Skylar could barely contain her excitement over seeing her brother again; and when she saw Fergus walk out the building door to greet them, she leaped from the wagon that had barely stopped moving and jumped on him, hugging him tight around his neck.  
He hugged her back just as fiercely. He picked her up off the ground and held her there for a few moments.  
“I missed you, mon frere,” she said to him.  
“I missed you more, ma soeur,” he said back.  
He set her down and grasped Ian’s shoulder, who had come up next to her with Rollo at his side as usual, saying how good it was to see him. He did the same for Jamie and Claire.  
“Let’s go inside,” he suggested. “Marsali has tea and whiskey with some breads prepared for us.”   
There was another very joyful reunion with Marsali when they walked into their room. They all sat around the table with the dog taking his preferred spot underneath by Ian and Skylar’s feet. They were able to get Fergus and Marsali up to speed on all that had happened in the last couple weeks, the good and the bad.  
When they were telling them about Stephen Bonnet’s raid on their boat, Ian almost let out about Skylar’s assault. But Skylar pressed her foot onto his to stop him and, luckily, neither of the other two seemed to notice anything.  
Skylar had finally started to put that night behind her and didn’t want to risk falling backwards on her progress and needing to start all over again with questions being asked and having to talk about it. Plus, after everything that she went through with Jamie and his reaction to it, she was way too scared that the same thing would happen with Fergus. So, she saw no point in saying anything about it.  
Thankfully, Fergus was focusing on a bit of much happier news. He looked to Skylar and said, “Milord told us in his letter that you and Ian are staying here, in North Carolina. Is that really true?”  
She smiled and took Ian’s hand. “It is, and convincing him was not an easy feat,” she answered, tilting her head to Jamie. “But we are so excited.”  
Marsali grabbed her husband’s arm and responded, “So are we. We are so happy the two’a ye will be here when the bairn is born.” She put her other hand on her bump which was now visible. Skylar wasn’t surprised how far along she was. She figured she had gotten pregnant almost immediately after they were married.  
“I can’t wait to spoil my little niece or nephew,” Skylar told them. “When he or she arrives, I will be here all the time. Seriously. I may as well just move in.”  
Fergus chuckled. “And you would be more than welcome to.”  
While Jamie went out to make arrangements for meeting with Tryon the next day, the others organized what the traveling group would be taking with them so they would be ready to go the next day.  
When they were done and staring at the good sized pile of their belongings, not including what they had bought in Woolam’s Creek, Claire stated, “I think this’ll last us a while. We’ll be well settled before we need to buy anything else.”  
The next day cam far too quickly. When Jamie went to meet Tryon, the others ate their breakfast together, all laughing and talking and enjoying each other as a family.  
Skylar cherished this short time with Fergus. As excited as she was to be starting this new chapter, it felt bittersweet. Fergus had been the very first person she met when she went through the stones and had been with her nearly every day since. She knew that people would call their very close male friends their brothers, but she and Fergus may as well have been born from the same mother. He was truly her sibling and it felt weird that they would now be living their own lives separate from each other. She dreaded saying goodbye to him, as well as Marsali. She loved her sister-in-law so dearly and it would hurt to be apart from her as well.  
When Jamie got back, he very happily announced that the deal was done and they officially owned Fraser’s Ridge.   
Ian shot out of his seat hearing that, asking if the wagon was ready to be loaded and took a few steps towards the pile of luggage.   
Claire lightly laughed along with the others at her nephew’s eagerness. “I, uh, guess it’s time for us to make our way then.”  
With that, they all got up and started to bring all of the bags downstairs. Though Ian’s first task was to lead Rollo out and get him into the wagon, and then somehow get the dog to wait there patiently for the humans to be done.  
It took many trips to get everything into the wagon. On the last one, Claire, Skylar and Marsali came down the stairs together.   
“That’s the last of it,” Claire announced, panting as she carried a large stack of fabrics bound together.  
Skylar was close behind her with the last bag of clothes and blankets. “God, I didn’t think a bunch of skirts and shirts could be so heavy.” She set the bag on a nearby table and leaned on a chair to catch her breath. “I hope that the work that comes with building our lives from scratch in the woods will help me get in better shape.”  
She looked up when she heard footsteps, and saw Ian coming towards them.  
“I’ll take that, Yank,” he told her, picking up the bag and putting the strap over his shoulder. She gave him a tired smile in thanks. He offered to take the fabric from Claire as well, and then walked back outside with both.  
Skylar followed Claire and Marsali to the vendor who had taken up shop in the tavern to get food to eat on their way.  
“Could I buy some bread, cheese and sat pork to take with us please?” Claire requested. The man nodded and took Claire’s basket to fill it.  
“I had a mind te prepare ye a basket of provisions, only the thought of it…” Marsali confessed. “I can barely speak of a supper without feelin’ as queasy as our time on the Artemis.” Skylar could see her face turn pale just talking about food. The blonde looked to Skylar and said, “I now understand how ye couldna keep anythin’ down when ye felt so sick.”  
“I don’t think your nausea will last as long as mine did, thankfully. I’ve heard it usually passes around the fifth month, so it’ll be over soon.”  
“You should chew peppermint if you can find some. And eat small meals often, even if you’re not hungry,” Claire advised. Marsali just nodded. She was trying to hide that her eyes were getting watery, but Claire was able to see it. “What’s the matter?”  
She looked down at her stomach and put a protective hand on it. She took a breath and said, her voice shaky, “I miss my mother. I ken ye don’t care fer her and that there’ bad blood betwixt ye. But wi’ a bairn comin’, I wish she were here wi’ me.”  
Claire took the girl’s hands. “It’s not unusual to want you mother now. If there’s anything I can do for you…”  
“That’s verra kind of ye. There is no other healer I’d want by my side if things were te go wrong. Only, there’s deliverin’ a bairn, and then there’s raisin’ one.”  
“Your mother did a fine job raising you, and I’m sure you’ll do just as well.”  
Skylar tried to hide her own emotions that were stirring while listening to their conversation. But she didn’t want to say anything and make this moment about her. She was so glad to see Claire and Marsali bond after their horribly rocky start, and bringing up her own issues would just ruin this.  
The three women were brought out of their own little world when they heard Jamie come inside mid-discussion with Fergus over finding settlers for the Ridge.  
“I dinna want any settlers who may cause trouble.”  
“I’ll be careful in my selection,” Fergus assured the man.  
“Find Highlanders if yer able, and the men from Ardsmuir Prison. They’ll be hereabouts. Bring as many as are willin’.”  
“I’ll look for them, Milord.”  
By the time they finished, Claire had paid for the food and she, Marsali and Skylar joined the men by the door.   
“I trust things are well fer ye here,” Jamie said, looking between his son and daughter-in-law. “You have enough money?”  
“Aye. You must not worry yourself, Milord. I’ve managed to find some work and with Marsali’s sewing, we’ve enough for now.”  
“It’s easy for you to say not to worry. It’s much more difficult for us to actually do that,” Skylar informed him. She and Fergus shared a sad half-smile.  
She could feel the lump in her throat forming, but she tried to push it down.   
_Do not cry. Do not cry. Do not cry,_ she ordered herself. _It’s not like I’m never going to see him again. At least we’re on the same side of the ocean._  
Ian then spoke up, clearly ready to get moving, “Well then, the wagon is loaded.” He looked from Jamie to Claire and back again with the biggest grin on his face.  
Skylar let out a breathy laugh and rubbed his shoulder. “I don’t think you’re excited enough, Youngin’. You should work on that.”  
Claire and Jamie hugged Fergus and Marsali goodbye then the expectant parents wet outside with Skylar and Ian to do their farewells separately.   
Skylar hugged Marsali and told her, “The moment your baby comes, you need to write to us immediately.”  
“I’ll have the letter ready te send the moment me pains start,” she promised.  
Ian added, “And we’ll have a fine cabin waiting’ fer ye when the three’a ye join us.”  
When Skylar finally stood in front of Fergus to tell him goodbye, she realized she had underestimated how hard it would be.  
She fell into him and firmly wrapped her arms around him, not able to stop a couple tears from escaping.   
Fergus engulfed her just as deeply and planted a long kiss on her head.   
“This is not goodbye, ma soeur,” he told her. “We are only saying ‘see you soon.’ And it will be very soon.”  
“You promise?”  
“Aye, I do.” They pulled from each other and held the others’ hands. “We are in the same country, the same colony even. We’re only a couple days ride apart.”  
“Yeah but, how am I supposed to survive without my big brother around?”  
“I think the real question is, how am I to survive without my wee sister?”  
They hugged one more time, and Skylar said, “Je t’aime mon frere.”  
“Je t’aime plus ma soeur.”  
“Impossible.”  
When they fully left their embrace, Skylar took her place next to Ian, wiping her eyes. Ian put his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek.   
Fergus then put on his “protective brother” voice and said, “remember, Ian. She is in your care. If anything happens to her, I will hold you responsible.”  
“Understood,” Ian replied. “I willna let any harm come te her. On me life, I swear it.”  
On that, Jamie and Claire came outside and I was at last time to leave.  
Ian helped Skylar onto Finley and sat behind her, holding the reins around her so that she was secure.  
Jamie and Claire mounted the wagon and led them off. As Skylar passed Fergus and Marsali, she held her hand out and Fergus took it, holding it until he was forced to let go.   
When her brother and his wife became small dots and then disappeared altogether, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, leaning her head against Ian’s chest.  
After many hours of almost nonstop riding, they came back across the view of what was now their land. They decided to stop for a while to let themselves and the animals rest. They tied Finley and Clarence to trees so they wouldn’t wander off, and Jamie and Claire went to admire their new home.   
Ian, however, had taken one glance at how high they cliff they were on was and decided to look off at it from a distance.  
“Ye go on, Uncle Jamie. I’ll be fine,” he said as Jamie joined Claire. He tried to play it off that he was not nervous, he was just going to be the one to keep watch over their belongings.   
“Ae you scared of heights, Youngin’?” Skylar asked, able to see through him. She looked over at him from where she was brushing Finley.  
“I’m no afeared,” he answered a bit too quick and confidently which made it more obvious he was lying. “It’s just…it’s a long way down, no? It’d be easy te fall if ye get too close.”  
Skylar smiled to herself and set the brush down. She went to him and put her arms around him from behind. “Don’t worry. I’ll hold you tight enough so you won’t go anywhere.”  
“I’d like it if ye held me like this all the time, not just when we’re high up.” He turned to face her and pulled her into him. “In yer arms is where I’m the happiest.”  
“I could say something very similar back, but I might throw up from how cutesy it would be. So I’ll just kiss you instead.”  
She stood on her toes as much as she could and he brought his mouth down the rest of the way. After a few perfect seconds, the pulled back and just stared at each other.  
“Are ye alright love?” he suddenly asked.  
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”  
“Ye’ve just seemed a bit sad since we left Wilmington, and I can see in yer eyes yer still sad. Are ye missin’ Fergus?”  
“Yes, but that’s not it.” She got out of his hold and leaned her back against the wagon. “Marsali was talking about how much she missed her mom and she wishes she was with her during her pregnancy, and it just made me think about how I won’t have my mom here when I have a baby or get married or…anything. I miss her so so much every day and I know when major events like that happen, I’ll miss her even more.” She rubbed her heart shaped charm between her fingers, feeling the small hole where her birthstone once was held.   
Ian laced his fingers with hers on her other hand.   
“Do ye think even now, though it’s so long before she died, her soul is somehow in Heaven, keepin’ watch over ye?”  
“That’s what I tell myself. I like to believe that. And thinking about her living on the moon like she said she was helps too when I really need her.”  
“Would she have liked me, had she met me? Do ye think she would’ve approved?”  
She turned her head to him and cupped his face. “Oh, Ian. She would absolutely love you. She would tell me that I couldn’t have found anyone better and I am so lucky to have you.” He took her hand off him and kissed her palm, keeping it locked in his. “Did I tell you she came to me in a dream when we were in Jamaica?”  
“No. What happened?”  
“I was so scared over you and desperate to find you, and I had a dream all about that. And in it, my mom was there and she told me you were still alive. Then the next day, I had you back.”  
“So then, maybe she is watchin’ over ye still.”  
“Maybe.”  
After another few minutes, they continued down to the land itself to stake out their boundaries. Tryon’s men had given Jamie wooden stakes to use as markers which they hammered into the ground to outline their property.   
After almost an hour, they still had quite a bit more to go.  
“Where now, Auntie?” Ian asked after Jamie had finished with one.  
Claire looked at the map they had been given with the specific layout of their land. “It’s another hundred yards that way.” She gestured forward with her head. “And then, we have to turn to the South again.”  
“We must’ve placed a hundred posts!”  
Skylar laughed at the annoyed parent-like looks Jamie and Claire shot to Ian. “Don’t complain, Youngin’. The faster we go, the faster it’ll be done.”  
“Aye, and then the real work will start,” Jamie added.  
“Can’t wait,” Skylar replied, jokingly sarcastic. She put her arm through Ian’s and said, “C’mon, let’s find the next spot. Rollo, lead the way!”  
Rollo gave an enthusiastic bark and ran forward. Ian took hold of Clarence’s rope, who had been tasked with carrying the stakes, and they followed after their dog with Jamie and Claire trailing leisurely behind them.  
When a bit of distance had been put between the two couples, Ian said to Skylar, “Do ye think Uncle Jamie will allow us part of this land fer our own home when the time comes?”  
“I can’t imagine he wouldn’t. That’s what he’s doing for Fergus and Marsali. Maybe we’ll be able to build our cabin close to them.”  
“Aye, that’d be nice. But still far enough apart so we have plenty’a privacy, right?”  
“Oh, of course. After being watched like a hawk since pretty much the first day we met, we should isolate ourselves from all other people for a while once we’re on our own.”  
“I have no argument against that.” He roped his arm around her waist and caught her off guard, spinning her around and pushing her back against they had been passing.   
She laughed out loud at his move and put her hands on his shoulders. “Wow, very smooth, Youngin’. I’m impressed.”  
“Is ‘smooth’ a good thing?”  
She smiled even wider. “Yes, it’s a good things.” She pulled his head down to her and their lips connected again.  
Every time they kissed, it always felt like the first time. They both still felt the same excitement, tingles and fireworks they had during their first kiss on that beach in Jamaica.   
Skylar often thought about how just a year ago at this time, she had been trying so hard to convince herself she felt nothing more than friendship for Ian. She wished she could go back in time again to her then self and tell her how stupid she was being and to not waste any more time.  
“Hey,” she whined when Ian pulled himself away from her.  
“I dinna want te stop either, but I can hear Uncle Jamie’s voice. He and Auntie Claire are’na too far behind. If he catches us, he’ll put on the stakes through me chest.”  
She gave an overdramatic sigh and said, “Fine. Let’s keep working like we supposed to.” She took his hand and they kept walking.  
Looking around, Skylar suddenly realized Rollo was next to them. “Where’s Rollo?” Like he could sense she asked that, they heard a bark come from a few hundred feet or so to their left. “Well, ask and you shall receive.”  
He let out more barks which they followed until they found him wagging his tail in front of two trees that looked almost like mirror images of each other.  
“Whoa, that looks like something out of a fairy tale,” Skylar commented. “I feel like there should be a witch living in them.”  
The trees were very tall and had thick roots that they could see going into the ground. Each bare branch broke off into at least two more bare branches that were twisted and turned in every direction.  
“Uncle Jamie, come here!” Ian called out.  
Jamie and Claire quickly caught up with them and stared in awe at the trees as well.  
“They’re witness trees,” Jamie explained. “Governor Tryon spoke of them. They mark the farthest boundary of our land.” He started towards them with the others and Rollo following.   
He went up to one of them and, with his knife, carved F.R. in an X.  
“This will be a sign te all who pass that they’re enterin’ Fraser’s Ridge,” he stated. He handed Claire his knife and stood back to admire them again. As he did, he stepped in a large pile of animal poop, muttering, “Aw, Christ.”  
“I wonder what animal left that,” Ian questioned. “Maybe a raccoon? Myers told me of such creatures.”  
It still surprised Skylar whenever Ian or Jamie were confused over the ideas of animals that she had known about and been around her whole life. She had learned in the now famous Mr. Morrison history class that Scotland and America shared very few of the same animals. It hadn’t really sunk in that that was true until she met some Scots who had questions.  
“A raccoon isn’t much bigger than a skunk, like the one at River Run. So, I doubt it,” she told Ian.   
Claire agreed. “She’s right. It’d take a whole family to produce that amount. There are much more dangerous animals in North Carolina that could claim it.”  
“Wolves?” Ian asked.  
“Certainly none as friendly as Rollo.”  
Skylar giggled looking down at the dog next to her, facing away from the trees and always on alert, and stroked his head.  
“Lions?” Ian suggested again.  
Claire chuckled. “Try not to look so excited. But yes, there are mountain lions. But, uh, they all them panthers in these parts. And there are other wild animals, like bears. Though they’ll be bedding down soon for the winter and will sleep until spring.”  
“That sounds like a good idea. I think we should all follow their lead,” Skylar spoke up.  
“And who is the one complainin’ about the work now?” Ian teased.  
“I’m not complaining. I’m just recognizing a good idea when I hear one.”  
All of a sudden, they heard Rollo start growling and barking.   
“What’s got yer hackles up?” Ian said to the dog.   
He and Skylar turned to look where Rollo was staring and what they saw made Skylar’s blood run cold.


	36. Meet the New Neighbors

When they turned around, they saw five Native Americans standing behind them armed with rifles and bows and arrows.   
There was some distance between them, but the way they were staring almost unblinkingly at the white strangers made it clear they were not welcome.   
Skylar stopped breathing and her entire body felt ice cold. She couldn’t move her focus from the people across from her group. She didn’t look down when she felt Ian take her hand and cautiously pull her behind him. He kept an arm wrapped around her front with his hand gripping her back.  
Claire hadn’t looked yet, but she stood frozen, knowing something was wrong. “There’s something behind us,” she stated, justly nervous.   
Just loud enough for the three to hear, Jamie told her, “Claire, put the knife in my hand and get behind me.” She did as she was told.  
“What do they want, Uncle Jamie?” Ian asked.  
“Suppose we’ll find out.”  
“They look like Cherokee. The ones Myers dealt with seemed friendly. I’ll go with ye.” He didn’t take even one full step before Jamie shut him down.  
“Dinna move a hair.” Skylar grabbed firmly onto Ian’s arm as well to keep him still. “All of ye, stay by the rifles.” Jamie tightened his fist around the handle of his knife and started forward.   
Skylar’s heart was pounding so hard it was echoing in her ears. Her mind was fully blank with no thoughts able to enter. Her eyes were darting back and forth between Jamie and the other men, who were staring even more intensely and now directly at the Scot.   
When he reached halfway between his family and the Natives, he stopped. Not shifting his gaze from them, he held his arms out to the side and dropped the knife, the blade landing into the ground.   
Keeping his arms out to show he had no other weapons, he said to introduce himself, “James Fraser. I am James Fraser.”  
After an excruciating amount of seconds that each felt like an hour, the Cherokee had decided for the time being that he was not a threat and they started to disperse. One stayed after the others had gone, still staring Jamie down. But he slowly turned his back and disappeared.  
Only when they were gone did Skylar start to breathe again. She let out a very choppy exhale that she had been holding and took in another sharp breath. Luckily, she was able to quickly get back into a regular rhythm.   
Ian whipped around to face her and held her upper arms. “Are ye alright, Yank?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.  
She nodded. “I’m fine. You’re a good watch dog, Rollo. Good boy.” She squatted next to the dog and stroked his head and ears. She buried her face into his fur to help calm her nerves some more. She stood back up when Jamie rejoined them.  
“Do ye think we’ve seen the last of them?” Ian questioned.  
“I doubt it,” Jamie answered. “Now that they know we’re here, they’re likely te keep watch on us.”  
“Can’t we do anything to show we mean them no harm?” Skylar put forward.   
“I think the best thing fer us te do is go about buildin’ our home and hopefully, seein’ that we’re respectin’ their boundary, they’ll understand we’re peaceful.”  
They then left the trees and continued their surveying, though feeling a bit more on edge.  
Once the stakes had been placed, they explored their land to find the perfect spot to actually start building.  
After not too long, they came across a space that the moment they walked onto it, something changed in Jamie’s demeanor and he announced that this was where they would make their home, he could feel it deep in his gut that this was the best place. And the others had a similar feeling. The area definitely had the bones for a good home, and it was unanimously decided this was it. Once the choice was made, they set to work immediately.   
Over the next month, they worked from early morning before the birds would start singing to when the moon was high in the sky. They had to start by clearing the tract of land enough so they would have plenty of room to work with. Jamie and Ian handled the actual cutting down of the trees, and then Claire and Skylar would go around gathering the felled trees, using Clarence to bring them into a storage pile for future use. They would be used to eventually build their cabin, as well as a temporary shelter to use in the meantime.   
The shelter took about three days make. It was shaped out of branches and sticks tied together. It was nothing fancy and couldn’t hold even a match to River Run, but it put a roof over their head and a door to shut out the harsh weather, and that was enough.  
The inside of it was lit by a fire they kept in the middle of the one room. They had two flat wooden beds they covered with blankets and rolled up fur pelts as pillows. They stored some of their smaller possessions inside it, like their cookware, clothes, and Claire’s medical and sewing supplies.   
When their miniature home was finished and the area was cleared, they shifted their focus onto building their actual settlement, starting by mapping out the different sections of it with additional stakes they were given.   
Jamie tasked Skylar with helping him place them with her holding them while he pounded them into the ground. After the first few and her persistent asking, he let her try to the hammer some. He was impressed with how well she was able to it.  
“You saw what I was able to do to those barrels on the Artemis, and you’re still surprised?” she said to him.   
So far, they had designated size and place for pens for the animals, an outhouse, and an herb garden for Claire.   
They had also made a fire pit from large rocks Ian had been charged with collecting, and they kept firewood for said pit in a small attachment they added onto the shelter.   
While they didn’t have a place to store meat, Ian came up with the idea to wrap the meat in a large piece of muslin and tie it high above where animals wouldn’t be able to reach it.   
All in all, things were moving along well with Fraser’s Ridge and they all felt proud of what they had accomplished so far.   
However, through all the “fun” they were having working together as a family, none of them had been able to get a moment away from the others; and Skylar and Ian were getting antsy.   
Since the brief time they had in Woolam’s Creek, they never had any opportunities to be alone. With Jamie staring his nephew down whenever he would just give Skylar an extended kiss on the cheek, they were desperate for a chance to show their affection physically without worrying about Ian’s safety. And one afternoon, they thought they had found their chance.  
Skylar and Ian were tending to the animals, grooming and feeding them, while Jamie had begun work on measuring out and outlining new areas of the Ridge and Claire was preparing to go pick some herbs and plants nearby for healing and cooking.  
The younger couple kept glancing over to the other two and plotting quietly, waiting for when Jamie and Claire would be distracted enough to not notice if they slipped away for a little while. When they thought they had their moment, they took each other’s hands and tried to stealthily sneak off. But they didn’t get far.  
“And where are ye two headed?” they heard Jamie call out to them.  
The teenagers stopped in their tracks. They exchanged a subtle nervous look and turned back around. They saw Jamie standing with his arms crossed, looking at them with an expression that made it clear he was not letting them go off so easily. Claire stood next to him, but her face was much softer.  
“Nowhere,” Ian answered.  
 _Oh God, wrong answer, Youngin’,_ Skylar thought, knowing that was just going to make Jamie ask more questions.  
“Nowhere, eh? Ye seemed pretty set on goin’ somewhere when I stopped ye,” Jamie countered.  
“We were just going for a walk,” Skylar told him.  
Jamie raised his eyebrows. “A walk?” His tone not hiding that he didn’t believe her.   
“Yes. We’ve barely left this one area for over a month. We just wanted to walk around outside of here for a bit.” Jamie’s facial expression didn’t change and he was clearly against the idea. Skylar tried to persuade him more by adding, “We won’t be long and we won’t go far.”  
“Let them go,” Claire said to her overprotective husband, trying to help them. “They’re promising they won’t go far, right?” She looked back at the younger ones to get them to agree.   
“Aye, we’ll no go farther than the witness trees,” Ian promised.  
He took a long time to answer, but Jamie finally said, “Fine. But if yer no back wi’in 30 minutes, I’ll come huntin’ ye down meself.”  
Ian swallowed hard as his uncle stared at him through slightly narrowed eyes. He should be used to intimidating accusation-filled looks from the man, but each one still scared the lad enough to keep his hands to himself when he and Skylar were around Jamie, not wanting to risk his full wrath.  
“Yes, sir,” Skylar responded. She took Ian’s hand they quickly left before Jamie could change his mind.   
They walked through the woods casually until the cabin was out of sight. Then, Skylar was the one who stopped them and pulled Ian’s face down to meet hers.   
Her sudden move didn’t cause him to miss a beat. His hands went right to her waist and pulled her flush against him.   
They kept going until they had completely run out of air. When they broke their mouths apart, Skylar kept hold of his face so their foreheads could rest against each other.   
While catching his breath, Ian said to her, “I’ve missed that. It’s been too long since I could kiss ye properly.”  
“As thrilled as I am for us to be in America, I’m starting to think that the three month voyage back to Scotland alone wouldn’t have been so bad.”  
He chuckled. “I think yer right. Too late te tell Uncle Jamie we changed our minds?”  
She laughed at that and then kissed him again, though much more calmly than they had a moment before.  
When Skylar pulled back, she said, “I wanna do something. Do you have your knife?”  
“Aye,” Ian told her, furrowing his brows in confusion.  
“You don’t have to be nervous. Come here.” She led him to a nearby tree that had moss completely covering almost exactly half of its trunk. She knelt at the base of it and looked up at her Scot. “Can I see your knife?”  
Still unsure but choosing to trust her, he took his knife out of its sheath that hung at his hip and handed it to her. She took it and started writing something into the wood. Ian knelt next to her to get a closer look.  
“In the future,” she explained, “when people are in love, something they sometimes do is carve their initials into a tree. A lot of people think it’s super silly and lame, but I think it’s kind of romantic. It’s like a way of saying we’ll always be together for years and years. Even into the 21st Century.” She paused to look at him and see if he thought it was silly and lame, but from the way he was looking at her, he definitely liked the idea. She smiled and turned back to her work. When she was don, she handed him back his knife and dusted off the letters.  
“I.M. + S.K.,” she read. “I thought of this when Jamie carved Fraser’s Ridge into the one of those trees. I’ve been trying to find a way for us to do it without anyone hovering over us.”  
“Do ye think this is still on this tree all the way in 2019?”  
“I don’t know. Probably. I hope so.” She happily admired at the letters, all the while feeling Ian’s gaze on her. She turned her head to see him looking at her, unmoving. “What?”  
“Every day I think it’s impossible fer me te love ye more than I already do. But then, ye just look at me, or smile or laugh or touch me hand,” he looked down at their hands and put his fingers through hers, then brought his eyes back to her, “and I feel like me heart could burst from lovin’ ye ten times more than I did the day before.”  
Skylar’s heart picked up as he said those words. She wanted to reply, but she knew nothing she could say would anywhere compete. So she just leaned into him and kissed him, trying to say though it how never ending and unconditional her love for him was. She hoped that he could understand. He did as he returned it with the same intensity.   
As they went on, Skylar found herself lowering to laying on her back on the ground. Ian followed her, ending on top of her. He moved his mouth to her neck and kissed down to her collarbone and back up as one of his hands held onto her lower hip; and moving slowly down to the hem of her skirt until his fingertips brushed her stocking clad calf. She gripped the back of his shirt lightly in her fists and closed her eyes, taking long and deep breaths.   
They were a good distance away from Jamie and he wasn’t expecting them back for almost a half hour. This could be the only opportunity they would have for quite a while to finally let happen what they’ve been waiting for and dying to do for so long.   
But when Skylar shifted slightly under Ian’s weight, a sharp rock poked into her back and she could already feel sticks getting caught in her hair, and she changed her mind.   
“Time out,” she said, moving his head back to hers, which had started to move down beyond her collarbone. “I know I said we did not have to wait until we’re married, which I am still standing by 100%. But, I’m sorry, I am not losing my virginity on the literal forest floor.”  
“Understood.” His hand moved right back up to her waist. “Can I kiss ye again now?”  
She gave a little smile and said, “Kissing me is the one thing you never have to ask my permission to do.”  
He smiled back at her and pressed his lips to hers once again. He grabbed her back and helped her to sit up, not breaking the kiss. They fit together like puzzle pieces as they wrapped their arms around each other, each tangling their fingers into the other’s hair. They had so badly needed this time alone and they felt like nothing was able to break them out of the little world they had created. Until they heard horses and angry yelling from not too far away. They instantly pulled apart and looked towards the noise.  
“What was that?” Skylar asked.  
“I dinna ken.” They stood up and walked in the direction where it had come from. They heard the voices again and followed them. They ended up right around the corner from the witness trees where they had placed multiple stakes. They froze for a moment then hid behind a tree next to them. There were the same Cherokee they had met before. Each of the men had in his hand a stake that they had pulled up and the last man shouted angrily in Cherokee and pulled up one not too far from where Skylar and Ian were hiding.   
“Why are they doing that?” Skylar questioned, whispering. “We haven’t done anything to them.”  
“They must think we’re tryin’ te take over their land,” Ian guessed, whispering as well, “and they want us out.”  
“We have to go tell Jamie.”  
“Aye.”   
They turned around as quietly as possible as the Cherokee were talking very unpleasantly behind them. They had taken a few steps before, in the most cliché way possible, Ian stepped on a stick, cracking it in half. The noise might as well have echoed for miles. The two almost broke their necks looking back so fast, and to their horror, they had been caught. The rage filled shouting was now aimed at them, and the men turned their horses in their direction.   
“Run, run! Now!” Skylar exclaimed, and they bolted. Neither ever thought they were able to run so fast, but the adrenaline of staying ahead of the pounding hooves that were basically on their heels. Finally, the cabin came into view.  
“Uncle Jamie!” Ian cried as they ran onto the land. Jamie and Claire looked to them with fear spreading immediately on their faces. “Uncle Jamie! They’ve returned!”  
“Get behind me,” Jamie ordered the others; and they followed it. Ian pushed Skylar behind him as well. She held onto his arm and Claire’s hand, as Claire held onto Ian’s other arm to protect them.   
Skylar’s breathing picked up from the terror, not to the point of hyperventilating and having another panic attack, but she thought her heart might pound out of her chest from racing so fast.   
As the Cherokee came in front of them, Jamie held up the axe he was holding, ready to defend his family if need be. But instead of attacking them, the furious men just threw the stakes down hard enough to make them stick in the ground at Jamie’s feet. They spoke again. Though none of the four settlers knew what they were saying, they could clearly hear the threatening tone their words held. When they said what they needed to, they turned their horses around and rode away.   
“This is bad. This is very very bad,” Skylar spoke when they were gone. She looked at Ian and asked, “Did you understand anything they were saying?”  
He shook his head. “No, I didna hear anythin’ I recognized. But I have a feelin’ they were warnin’ us it’s only goin’ te get worse.”   
“What are we supposed to do? We can’t just live here in constant fear every damn day.”  
“Jamie,” Claire said, looking to him. Without speaking, they had a full conversation just through their eyes and came to a conclusion.  
“We should hold off on working on the Ridge fer a few days,” Jamie stated. “We dinna want te attract them here again with any noise. None of us will leave spot until we ken we’re no in danger. Understand?” He looked at Skylar and Ian for the last bit, and they nodded. “Good. We’ll stay in the shelter fer the rest’a the day, out of sight.”  
“Rollo, come!” Ian called to the dog who had been standing on alert with his tail straight up when the Natives came charging in and still hadn’t relaxed. But hearing his master’s voice, he bounded over to him and nudged his head against Ian. He followed the four into the shelter.   
They did, in fact, stay in there all during the rest of the day, not once leaving. They had been able to cook their dinner over the fire they kept in it, and had decided to go bed early.  
Ian held Skylar a little tighter than usual as they laid together, and she was absolutely fine with that. It made her feel safe, and Rollo right below them added to that as well. But while he had fallen asleep easily, she was still awake. Facing the wall and not moving, she listened as Jamie and Claire discussed what they should do.  
“Maybe we could build somewhere else,” Claire suggested. “We do have 10,000 acres.”  
“No, Jamie answered simply. “This is the place, close te the stream where the earth is tillable and we’re sheltered from the east wind.”  
“Perhaps we should move further away from the shared border then.”  
“Somethin’ as small as a wee line on a map didna stop them teday. If they mean te be rid of us, they’ll come no matter where we settle on this ridge. And from what ye’ve told me, there are Indians all over these lands. So no matter where we settle, we’ll have the same problem.”  
 _If it’s not the Cherokee trying to run us out, it’ll be another,_ Skylar added in, silently in her head. _And who knows if another one will even start with warnings._  
She heard Claire take a breath in and whispered to not wake up who she thought were the two sleeping people across from her, “You remember the skull I showed you, the Indian I saw? I thought perhaps he was the one who led us back to each other, guided us to this place. What if it was a warning? He’s someone like me, someone from the future. What if he knows that something bad happens here?”  
That sent a chill through Skylar’s entire body, but she had to fight the urge to shake through it so she wouldn’t be caught awake. She wracked her brain, trying to remember anything she might have learned in history class about any major Indian attacks that happened in North Carolina. She couldn’t think of any.  
 _But that doesn’t mean none happened._  
“Ghost or not, Sassenach, I canna tell ye what it is fer me te feel the rightness of this place. Wasna just yer ghost that brought us here. The mountain spoke te me. Trouble is, I canna speak wi’ this tribe te tell them I mean te honor the boundary lines, be a considerate neighbor.”  
“Perhaps you should make a gesture of good will.”  
“Aye.” Jamie’s voice perked up at the idea. “I’ll speak wi’ John Quincy Myers in the mornin’. Fer now, we should rest. It’s been a long day.”  
“It certainly has. Has the vein in your neck stopped throbbing yet from when Skylar and Ian went off together?” Claire laughed gently. Skylar bit back a groan and rolled her eyes so dramatically she wouldn’t have been surprised if Jamie and Claire had seen it facing away from them.  
“Dinna remind me or it’ll start again.”  
“It’s so wonderful and sweet how much you love her and care about her wellbeing and safety, but you do have to have trust in her.”  
“I do have trust in her. It’s Ian I have a more difficult time with. I know that I’ve been a little…hard on him when it comes to her and the two’a them are likely ready te do me in, but I ken too well what goes through the mind of a 17 year old lad. I was one as well. And when ye find yerself alone wi’ a bonny young lass, it can be too easy te lose control and take advantage of her kind soul. If she were te get hurt again while under me care…” Skylar heard him fade off and she knew exactly what his face looked like. It was likely very similar to what it was when they talked that night at River Run. She felt a bit guilty thinking back on how she reacted every time Jamie interrupted them. As incredibly annoying and frustrating as it was, he loved her and was only worried about keeping her safe.   
“You know Ian would never do such a thing. The love they have for one another is something very rare and what most people can ever dream of finding. Very similar to you and me.” Skylar heard them share a tender kiss. “Besides,” Claire continued, “you and I both know that if Ian ever did try something Skylar wasn’t okay with, she is more than capable of letting him know.”   
The young girl swallowed a laugh, also knowing that was true.  
Jamie let out a soft chuckle. “Aye, yer right. But that willna stop me from tryin’ te keep them six feet apart them at all times.”  
“You were made to be a father to a daughter, James Fraser. And she is very lucky to have you.”  
 _I really am. And I’m so so thankful every day that I do._   
Maybe the next time Jamie gave her and Ian a look when they are being too close for his comfort, she wouldn’t talk back and would do as he asked.  
 _If only to stop the vein from throbbing out of his neck._

OUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDER

The fire in their shelter had almost died out when Skylar woke up to the sound of Rollo barking. She felt Ian move next to her and knew he was awake as well. When they sat up they saw Jamie and Claire were too.  
Ian looked down next to their bed and saw Rollo had gone outside. His barks sounded panicked and he was going nonstop. All four of them sprung up, fearing the worst; that the Cherokee had followed through on their threats and were back to do real damage.  
Jamie grabbed his knife from under his pillow and held it in his belt loop. He hurried to put on his shoes then grabbed a rifle. Ian followed, doing both of the same. Claire picked up Jamie’s axe and Skylar found Ian’s knife, holding it tight and terrified at the idea of actually having to use it.  
Ian turned back to her before they got out and whispered sharply, “Yank, stay here.”  
“Yeah, okay, sure,” she whispered back, heavy with sarcasm.  
“Just stay close te me then.” She held onto the waistband of his pants to do so, and they walked out behind Jamie and Claire.  
They stalked slowly into the dark, each of them looking in all directions, trying to hear or see anything of danger to them. Rollo was still barking, like an alarm system.   
“Where are they?” Ian asked.  
To see better, Jamie picked up a piece of firewood and lit it on the fire they had left burning outside. He shone it around and they were able to see the chaos their settlement had been left in. The stakes outlining parts of the Ridge had been pulled up, all of their belongings they had kept out there had been overturned and emptied.  
Ian looked up and cried out, “They took our meet!”   
Everyone else followed his gaze and saw that the contraption he had made to hold and protect their meat had been cut down and the sack with the food was gone.   
“Are they trying to starve us to death?” Skylar questioned. “They know we’re isolating ourselves here and aren’t going to leave to hunt. If that’s how they’re trying to get rid of us…”  
They heard a loud branch snap behind them and they all spun around, Ian raising his rifle towards the sound. Skylar’s grip on him tightened and she moved in closer to him. She almost didn’t want to know what was there.  
“Here.” Jamie handed Claire the torch and he held up his rifle as well, waiting for whatever it was to appear. It was deadly silent. They all seemed to be holding their breath. But when they saw what it was that made the sound, they relaxed, but only slightly.   
“It’s Finley,” Ian exclaimed. Skylar let go of him as he ran to his horse. She, Jamie and Claire followed him.  
Finley limped towards them and met Ian halfway. When Ian tried to approach him, he got spooked and tried to run away but wasn’t able to.  
“Sh sh sh sh sh,” Ian calmed him. He held onto the rope attached to him that had snapped in half to keep him still.   
From the light of Claire’s torch, Skylar could see the blood coming from the horse. “He’s hurt,” she announced and ran to him too.   
“Uncle, look,” Ian called to Jamie.   
“You’re okay. You’re okay. Everything’s okay,” Skylar spoke softly to the shaken animal as she pet his nose. She tried to avoid looking at the blood as much as she could and focused on soothing Finley.  
When Claire got close, she could see the massive claw marks going down the horse’s body. An expression of half shock half terror crossed her face as she said, “This isn’t the Cherokee. This is a bear.”


	37. Tskili Yona

No one slept anymore that night. Jamie and Ian sat alert with their rifles, staring at the shelter door unblinking while Claire kept her arms around Skylar as they sat on her and Jamie’s bed. They all stayed absolutely silent, trying to listen to hear if anything was approaching them.  
They saw the light of the rising sun come through the small gaps between the sticks. When it was fully daylight and they could hear the world come to life outside their door, Jamie was the one to go out first. He looked around and did a full sweep of their land. When he deemed it safe, he called to the others to come out.  
He informed them that he was going to go see John Quincy Myers to get advice on how to handle their situation with the Cherokee.   
While he was gone, Claire, Skylar and Ian cautiously trekked to the river to catch fish for their dinner now that their meat was gone. They were pretty successful by using a large net that helped to trap a good amount. They did end up losing a couple however when a bigger one pushed its way out, tearing a hole in the net as it did.  
When they got back with what remained, Ian took it upon himself to fix the net while Claire gutted the fish. Skylar sat with them and used the time to sew up some small holes and rips in their clothes. They still felt a bit nervous after the events of the day before, so they wanted to stay close together as they each worked. Rollo laid next to Ian, still on alert, even more than usual, for anything that might try to harm his humans.   
“Uncle Jamie will be pleased,” Ian spoke as he continued his task. “It’s a good catch, apart from the leviathan that tore through the net.”  
“You mended it yet?” Claire asked, glancing up for a moment from the slimy bloody mess in her hands. Skylar gagged every time she caught a glimpse of what was supposed to be inside the fish now on the ground.  
“Aye, almost.”  
Claire seemed impressed with how well he was doing. “Good hand for it.”  
“Well, it’s akin te knittin’. Ma taught me well.”  
“I wanna see how you do it,” Skylar stated. She stood up and went behind him, putting her hands on his shoulders. She brought her head down next to his to get a better view of his hands working. He kissed her cheek quick, making her giggle.  
“Ye’ve te be wary of yer stitches,” he explained. “Too close tegether and ye’ll soon run out of yarn. Too far apart, and ye’ll be walkin’ around wi’ holes where ye dinna want them.”  
After watching him so effortlessly close up the hole for a few moments, Skylar stood up straight, keeping her hands on his shoulders.   
“I can never understand how people make knitting look so easy. I’ve tried once or twice but it’s so complicated I’ve never had the patience to actually learn how.”  
Genuinely surprised at this fact, Ian looked up at her. “Ye dinna ken how? Yer Ma never taught ye?”  
“Nope. My mom could barely walk in a straight line, let alone stich one. Claire has been my very patient teacher when it comes to sewing and I’ve only gotten the basics down so far.”  
“And I’m afraid sewing is all I can help you with on that account. I also never learned how to knit,” Claire said.  
Ian turned back to his aunt with the same surprise. “Ye as well? That canna be. Everyone kens how te click it.”  
“I can sew a dress or a wound, skills I’m able to pass on to Skylar. But knitting is not something I was ever taught.”  
“What’d ye do fer winter stockin’s in Boston then?”  
“I bought them,” she answered, laughing a little at how the concept seemed so foreign to him.   
“Everyone at Lallybroch knits from the moment they can hold a needle.”  
“Well then,” Skylar said, “maybe we can really put our relationship to the test and you can try to teach me someday.” He chuckled and she kissed his cheek, going back to her own to seat to continue working on the clothes.   
Claire brought back the conversation to the last thing Ian had said, “When you say everyone…even Jamie knows how?”  
“Aye. Uncle Jamie knitted me a fine pair of stockin’s fer me baptism. If I can survive teachin’ Sky,” he threw her a teasing smile and she stuck her tongue out playfully at him, “I’d be happy te teach ye. When I get me hands on a skein of wool, I’ll have ye knittin’ in no time at all.”  
“At the moment, I’d better get these ready to cook.” She had finished gutting the fish and put a few of them on one of their pans.  
“I’ll look in on Finley,” Ian decided. He set down the net for the time being and went into the closed in space where Finley and the other animals were kept, calling for Rollo to follow him.   
Skylar watched him as he went, and when he reached the horse, she turned back to her stitching.   
“How are you feeling after everything that happened yesterday?” Claire asked her. “It was quite a bit of excitement, for lack of a better term. And I can’t imagine you would’ve had to deal with anything similar in your own time, so I want to make sure you’re not too shaken still.”  
“I’m definitely calmer than I was last night. But when we were walking to and from the river, I was so on edge I think I almost broke Ian’s hand from squeezing it so hard.”  
“Hopefully Myers will be able to tell Jamie something we can do to try to make peace with the Cherokee.”  
“Honestly, it’s not so much the Cherokee I’m nervous about. It’s that bear wandering around that I’m gonna lose sleep over.” She saw in Claire’s face that she was silently telling her to go on. “I couldn’t stop thinking last night about how the Cherokee really have every right to be angry. This is _their_ land we’re moving in on. I know we’re not forcing them out of their villages that they’re living in, but they are not in the wrong here. They’re just trying to defend the land that they were on and owned first from strangers doing who-knows-what to it. And knowing what’s going to happen to them, to all the Native Americans, as do you, I just feel really guilty that we could just be making all of that come faster by being here.”  
“I completely understand your guilt of knowledge. I had it too with Culloden and the French Revolution when Jamie and I were in Paris with our high-class wealthy friends. But, as much as we so desperately wish we could, we can’t change history. I’ve tried, and the events of history are set in stone and always find a way to play out, no matter how many obstacles you put in their way. We can only hope that possibly, by going against the mindset and norms of this time, we can light a spark that maybe others will follow. If we’re able to reach a peace with the Cherokee, other settlers will see and may try to do the same rather than fight them with violence. Though that sounds more like wishful thinking.”  
“What about this bear though? It’s not a person we can communicate with and reach an understanding. What are supposed to do the next time it comes back?”  
“The only thing we can do is try to defend ourselves and our home. Do you know how to shoot a gun, Skylar?”  
“A-a gun? Um, no. No, I’ve never learned how.”  
“Well, I think it’s time you did. You need to learn to protect yourself, and not just from bears.” Skylar nodded, unfortunately understanding her meaning. Claire stood up and went inside the shelter. When she came back out, she was holding one of the rifles. Skylar watched her pick up a piece of firewood and place it on a stump a few yards away.  
“Stand next to me,” Claire instructed the younger girl. Skylar felt very unsure about this, but if Claire said she needed to learn, she would listen. She stood next to the Englishwoman and she was shown what to do. “These aren’t like the guns we have in the 20th Century; or, likely, the 21st either. You don’t just pull the trigger. First, you need to put in the powder.” She took out of her apron pocket a small packet. She ripped it open with her teeth and pored its contents, a dark grey powder, into a small opening near the trigger and down the barrel. “Then, you put in the bullet, and you have to push it down all the way.” She took, again, from her pocket a single bullet and put it in the barrel. Using what looked like a long metal stick she pulled out from the underside of the rifle, she pressed the bullet far down. “This also helps to pack your powder and give you a more powerful shot.” After forcing the instrument up and down a number of times to make sure the bullet was where it needed to be, she put it back in it’s place. “You then pull back the flint, and line up with your target.” Skylar heard a small click as Claire locked what she called the flint in place. She held up the gun and aimed it at the piece of wood. “You can close one eye if you need to line it up as best as you can,” which she did. “And then, you fire.” She pulled the trigger and the gun went off, making Skylar jump back a good three feet. The sound set off Rollo barking as well.   
Skylar looked to the target and saw the wood was no longer standing. It had split in half and fell on the ground.   
“Omigod. Holy shit,” Skylar reacted, grasping her chest.   
“Christ, the sound of the gun scared me half te death. I thought someone was attackin’ us,” Ian said as he ran over. “What’s happenin’?”  
“I’m teaching Skylar how to shoot,” Claire told him as she handed the rifle to the aforementioned. Skylar just stared at it, a bit taken aback at how quick her lesson turned out to be.  
“N-now? Like, I’m shooting it now? I only watched you do it once.”  
“You have to get your first time out of the way sooner or later, and there is no time like the present.”   
Skylar looked the gun over once more then took it. Holding it straight, it was almost taller than she was and to say she was scared was a vast understatement.   
“Ian, go put a piece of firewood on the stump,” Claire asked of him. He looked at his lass and saw her gripping the weapon so tight her knuckles were snow white. He could tell she was terrified and that made him worried as well. But he did as he was told. He picked up a small piece of wood and placed it where Claire told him to.   
“Get Rollo and hold him tight behind us,” Claire added. Ian nodded and called to the dog. He knelt and held him tight around his head so he wouldn’t run, and watched the scene before him play out. “Alright,” Claire turned back to her student, “now you have to reload. Do you remember how?”  
“Yes,” she answered almost inaudibly. “I need more powder.” Claire handed her another packet from her apron pocket. Hands shaking a little, Skylar opened it and poured it into the appropriate places. She put the bullet Claire gave her in and forced it down. She tried to put the metal stick back in its place but her hands shaking caused her to keep missing.   
“I’ll hold it,” Claire offered, taking it.   
“Auntie, I don’t know if this is-” Ian started to say, but Claire held up her hand, signaling him to wait.   
She continued to Skylar, “Now, line it up with your target.”   
When the young girl raised it up to aim, she stumbled a bit to keep her balance from its surprising weight.   
“Jesus Christ, it’s heavy,” she muttered.   
“Keep this hand palm up underneath it, and bring it out a bit further,” Claire advised. Her left hand which supported the barrel was holding it from the top and too close to the trigger. Claire molded her hand to where it was supposed to be. “Spread your feet shoulder width apart and bend your knees. That way the kickback won’t knock you down.” She followed what she was told.  
“I…don’t think this is a good idea,” Skylar stated, though not lowering.   
“You need to learn, Sky. Just like how you needed to learn how to ride a horse. It’s a matter of survival.”  
“Riding a horse and shooting a gun are probably the two most different things I can think of.”  
“The first shot is the scariest. Each time after, it’ll get easier. And the longer you wait, the scarier it’ll be.”  
Skylar took in a deep breath and let it out slow. “Okay,” she whispered to herself. She re-aimed, closing her left eye to get a better line up.   
“Pull back the flint,” Claire went on. Skylar heard the click as she did. “And pull the trigger.”   
She licked her lips as she timidly placed her finger on the little hook. Reminding herself to not hold her breath, she pushed her finger against it and fired. She let out a yelp and staggered back a few steps to stay upright.  
“Are ye alright, Yank?” she heard Ian ask as he came up behind her and put his hand on her back to steady her.   
“Yeah. Yeah. I’m fine. Omigod, I can’t believe I just did that.”  
“And not too bad of a first shot,” Claire told her. She went to pick up the piece of wood and held it up for the 17 year old to see. “You managed to hit it and get it to the ground.” Claire brought the wood closer so Skylar could get a better look. It hadn’t split in half like Claire’s had, but there was a good sized chunk broken off of it and there were some scorch marks burned into it.  
Skylar took it and looked it over. “I hit it?” she repeated.  
“Yes,” Claire confirmed, smiling. “And you’ll get better as you practice.”  
“Can I try again?”   
Claire looked a little surprised, but she was definitely impressed at her inclination.   
“Of course.” She set up another piece of wood stood back next to Skylar while Ian went to hold Rollo still again. “Maybe as you get better, we can put an apple on Ian’s head for your target,” she joked.  
“Next time I’m really mad at him I might do that,” she replied, laughing.   
Now knowing more what she was doing and feeling slightly more confident, she set up again and shot at the wood.   
“Any better?” she asked as Claire went to check. She brought it back for Skylar to check out. Skylar’s shoulders dropped a bit. “It looks exactly the same.”  
“It’s only your second time shooting, Skylar. This is very good for never having done it before.”   
“Yer doin’ better than I did when I first learned,” Ian said, coming back next to her and putting his arm around her shoulders. “I think it took me almost a week before I actually hit anythin’.”  
“We can have you try some more tomorrow. For now, Skylar, do you think you’re able to redress Finley’s bandages or would the blood be too much?” Claire questioned.  
“I’ll never get over this blood thing until I really face it so, I’ll be fine,” she answered.  
“I’ll come with ye te catch ye if ye faint,” Ian volunteered.  
“Truly my knight in shining armor.” She pecked his lips and they went back to the horse.   
Skylar was able to take off the bloody bandages and put on new ones without passing out or feeling too lightheaded. The sight still made her feel very queasy but she forced herself through it.  
“Maybe soon ye’ll be over yer fear completely,” Ian said optimistically. “I mean, just a year ago, a minor cut wi’ just a drop would’ve made ye be sick at the least.”  
“I guess I’ve witnessed way too much blood by now to not be getting used to it.”  
Jamie returned not too much later. When he was asked what John Quincy Myers had told him, he said how Myers was going to bring tobacco to the Cherokee on their behalf and try to put in a good word, as they were very familiar with him and trusted him. He also shared that Myers suggested that if they were to meet them again, to use the phrase ‘siyo ginali,’ though Jamie didn’t understand what it meant.  
“It more or less means ‘hello, friend,’” Ian explained. “Myers told me that ‘ginali’ translates te ‘you and I are friends.’ It’s a proper way to respectfully greet them.”  
They decided that, once they heard from Myers how things went with the tobacco, Jamie and Ian would be the ones to approach them and attempt to talk with them to come to an understanding and compromise.  
The rest of the day and into the night passed uneventfully and they had all gone to bed feeling more relaxed than the night before. They were still worried about the bear, but since it hadn’t made any appearance during the day, they hoped it had wandered on well past their land. Unfortunately, that peace was too fleeting.  
They were woken up again that night by Rollo whining in front of the shelter door. Ian woke up first and he whisper-yelled, “Uncle Jamie!” Jamie woke up instantly and bolted into action.   
Skylar, who had had her arm around Ian’s middle, was woken up when he stood up.  
“What’s going on?” she asked groggily. But when she opened her eyes and saw everyone else moving around in alarm, she suddenly felt much more awake and sat up.  
“We think the bear’s back,” Ian told her. He knelt down next to her beside their bed and put a hand on her knee. “Please, Yank, stay in here. I beg of ye.”   
She could tell in his eyes how scared he was and, as much as she hated being treated like a fragile flower and wanted to play her part in protecting their home, she didn’t want to add on more stress and worry to him.  
“Okay,” she relented. “I’ll stay here, I promise.”  
She saw the relief wash over his face and he kissed her head. “Thank ye, love,” he said, truly meaning it, and he followed Jamie and Claire outside, gripping his rifle.  
Skylar sat with her knees against her chest, staring at the door they had left open. She stayed as still as she could, trying not to make any sort of sound. She listened intensely to hear every movement from outside. All she could hear was her heart pounding deafeningly loud in her ears. She tried to tune it out when Rollo started barking furiously from a distance.   
“What have ye got?” she heard Ian call to the dog.   
“That’s human!” Claire exclaimed. Skylar heard them sprint to where Rollo was.   
_Omigod omigod,_ she thought. _Is someone dead? What the fuck is happening?_  
She wanted so badly to run outside to see what was going on, but she needed to keep her promise to Ian. They would be back soon and fill her in.   
And within another minute, they came back into the shelter. All three were helping to carry who Skylar immediately recognized as John Quincy Myers. She jumped from her bed and knelt with the others around the second one they had laid Myers on.  
“What happened?” she questioned, panicked at seeing the deep slash marks on his abdomen that were gushing endlessly with blood.   
“He was mauled by the bear,” Claire answered, not looking up from the man before her. She grabbed a piece of cloth and rolled it, pressing it hard against the wound to try to control the bleeding. “He has severe muscle damage. Ian, hold this. Apply pressure.” He took over for his aunt, pushing as strong as he could.   
“Where did he come from? Is the bear nearby?” Skylar asked. Before anyone could respond, a roar came from somewhere outside. Skylar’s head snapped to the door with wide eyes and she moved in closer to Ian until she was pressed against his side. Jamie heard it too. He grabbed his rifle and stood up, going to the door.  
“Where are you going?” Claire called after him.  
“It’s still close,” he responded plainly.   
“You can’t go after it! Are you insane?!” Skylar yelled.  
“She’s right, you’ll get yourself killed!” Claire followed.   
“Well, if I don’t go after it, it’ll come back,” he argued.   
“I’ll go with ye,” Ian said, starting to stand up.  
Both women and Jamie shouted to him, “No!” Skylar forced him back down, holding tight to his arm so he couldn’t move.  
“Stay here and help yer auntie. Ye understand?” Jamie ordered. Ian nodded. Jamie looked back to the door and Skylar knew what he was thinking.  
She tried again to stop him. “Please, don’t go! You’re only going to get hurt and I can’t lose another parent! I can’t lose you! Please, Dad!” Her eyes widened when she heard the word she called him and she felt her whole body get hot, but she kept her focus locked on him. He had heard it too. His back straightened more and his look of a fierce hunter from a second before softened as he continued to look at her. Hearing her call him that made him, for a brief moment, consider staying. But his mind quickly shifted back when he heard the bear roar again.  
“I will be back. I promise ye,” he said, and without another word he was gone.   
Skylar stared at the door for long after he had gone. The chaos of Claire trying to save Myers faded as she started to think in a stream of consciousness.  
 _I actually called him Dad. It just slipped out, I couldn’t control it. But he is my dad. He knows I feel that. But was that really weird? Did he hate it? He didn’t react. Is that good or bad? Are things going to be awkward with us again? Why am I focusing on this? He could be getting mauled by the bear and be bleeding and dying and I’m freaking out because I accidentally called him Dad? What is wrong with me?!_  
She was brought out of her mind when Claire yelled, “Skylar!” The girl’s head snapped to the woman who had been trying to get her attention a few times. “Bring over my medical kit and tear some large clean bandages.”  
Skylar stood up and grabbed the wooden box from the other side of the room and some unused muslin from their pile of fabric. Before she got back to where she was needed, she froze in her spot when and whipped her had to face the door when she heard a gun go off, as did Claire and Ian.   
It felt like a year had passed while she was still, looking towards the gunshot and not breathing or blinking. She could only play through every horror scene imaginable Jamie could be going through.   
But only a couple of seconds had actually gone by before Claire shouted out again, “Skylar! Quickly!”  
She came back into her body and took just three large steps to get back. She set the medical box next to its owner and started to rip up the cloth.  
“Replace the one Ian has,” Claire told her. Skylar folded a piece many times so that it was thick and swapped it with the one that was now dyed red.   
As Claire looked over Myers for any more injuries, Ian asked, “What do ye need te do, Auntie?”  
“I need to stop the bleeding. I have to tie off his blood vessels and…” Something she saw made her stop talking.  
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Skylar questioned.   
Claire touched his neck where there was a purple circular mark. “He’s been bitten,” she stated.  
“The bear bit him too?”  
“No.” She was sure about her answer, but was confused about it.  
“Well, what is it?” Ian pressed.  
“It wasn’t a bear. This is from a human.”  
“A human?” Skylar repeated. “How? He was basically shredded by a bear claw. A human couldn’t have done this.”  
“Can it be from an older injury?” Ian suggested.  
Claire shook her head. “This is fresh. Whatever’s out there, it’s not an animal.”  
“Omigod, Jamie,” Skylar said, feeling even more panicked about him. She could see in Claire’s face and eyes the absolute terror for her husband that she was trying to hide.  
Trying to convince herself more so than the two teenagers, she said simply, “He’ll be fine. Skylar, hand me my scalpel.”  
For the next hour, Claire operated on Myers as best she could with what she had to stop the bleeding and repair his muscle. Skylar and Ian assisted however she asked, but making sure to give her enough room to work.   
When she had done all she was able to, she let out an exhausted by relieved sigh. “He’ll be alright. He’ll recover.” Then she began to sew him closed.   
They kept Myers in Claire’s bed while they waited for him to wake up. Though that excitement was over, the three still felt horribly tense and anxious waiting for Jamie to come back.   
Claire paced outside, unable to stay still. She looked around in every direction for any sign of the fiery red hair she could spot a mile away.   
Skylar and Ian stayed inside sitting on their bed. She had her elbows on her knees and held her face in her hands. One of her legs was bouncing uncontrollably from worry. Ian went to put his arms around her, but she gently pushed him off.  
“Youngin’, I love you so much and I want you as close to me as possible at all times. But right now, I’m sorry. I can’t…I can’t have anyone touch me.”  
“I understand,” he told her, meaning that. He moved a couple inches away from her. “Is it alright if I just sit here wi’ ye? I willna touch ye or say anythin’. Or would ye rather be left alone?”  
She considered for a moment, then answered, “You can stay.”  
He did as he promised. They sat in silence, waiting to hear the ground outside them crunch under Jamie’s boots returning home.   
Skylar moved to sitting against the wall. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing to keep herself from spiraling into a panic attack.  
 _In 2, 3, 4. Out 2, 3, 4,_ she kept the rhythm in her head again and again and again.   
She could feel Ian’s gaze on her and his concern for her as well as Jamie was radiating off of him. But she kept her eyes closed and her fist wrapped tight around her necklace, trying to connect with her mom.  
 _Ian came back, Claire came back, so Jamie will too. I don’t know if you actually had anything to do with bringing Ian and Claire back to me, but if you did, please do the same for Jamie. Please, please, don’t make me lose him. Bring him home._  
It was now starting to get light and Jamie hadn’t returned. They tried to keep their growing feelings of unnerve in the back of their minds as Myers started to stir. Claire gave him some water to drink but stopped him from sitting up when he tried. They asked him what happened and if he knew what attacked him.  
He told them, “It was no bear. It was a man. A Cherokee. He was wearin’ the fur of a bear and it’s head. He had its claws attached te his hands. I had been comin’ back from deliverin’ the tobacco when he came upon me. Christ, it’s all a blur now. I dinna remember too much of the actual fight. I dinna even remember findin’ yer land or how. But I’m verra glad I did.”  
Close to the afternoon, they were all still inside and keeping watch over Myers. They provided him with food and drink that Claire said was okay for him to have as he recovered.   
Suddenly, they heard someone cry, “Claire!”  
They all recognized the voice immediately. Claire was the first one outside with Skylar and Ian right behind her. They saw Jamie walking towards them covered in dirt and mud and holding his upper right arm they could tell was bleeding. Claire ran to him and hugged him for a long time. It seemed like she wasn’t going to let go, but she pulled from him only to grab his face and kiss him.  
When they broke apart, the younger two hurried to him and Skylar collided into him, holding firm around his waist. He enveloped her as well and stroked her hair.   
“I promised ye I would come back,” he said to her. He looked down at her with his comforting smile that always made her feel so safe.  
She still felt a little embarrassed remembering that she called him her dad out loud to him, and she knew she was going to have to bring it up at some point.   
As Jamie went into the shelter with them so Claire could fix his arm, he repeated what Myers had told them about the “bear” and gave them more details to who the man was that he learned when he brought the man to the Cherokee to show he was dead.  
He had been a Cherokee banished from his tribe who had lost his mind living alone in the woods. He had taken on the form of a bear and, what he had done to them, destroying their property and stealing their food, he had done to other settlements as well; including the Cherokee village.   
“But we dinna have te worry about him anymore,” he finished.  
“And the Cherokee?” Claire followed.   
“I told them that we wish te live peacefully with them and we dinna mean te harm them or their way of life. They didna give me a full answer, but I’m hopeful that they believe me.”  
As the day went on, they helped Myers make his way to sit outside and they cooked some of the jerky he had given them when they realized how hungry they all were now that the adrenaline had worn off.   
When Claire was redressing Myers’ bandages and wiping off the remaining blood as the jerky cooked, she announced, “We’re nearly out of water We’ll have to go to the stream, and get more.”  
“I’ll make the trek,” Jamie volunteered. He grabbed the two buckets out of their four that were empty and turned to Skylar, who was once again happily sitting as close to Ian as she could physically ger. “Would ye come with me, Skylar?”   
“Yeah. Yes, of course.” She stood form Ian and took the bucket that Jamie held out to her.  
They were quiet as they walked, both thinking hard about and planning every word that they were wanting to say.   
When they reached their destination, Jamie spoke first. “I’m sorry, lass, fer the distress I caused ye last night. But I would never have forgiven meself if I had let the creature go and allowed my family to continue to be in danger.”  
“I know that,” she replied. “I was just petrified that when you walked out that door I would never see you again.”  
“You never have te be afraid of that. I swear, I will always be here te protect ye, care fer and love ye…as yer father.”  
Skylar’s stomach turned into a thousand knots in the best way hearing him say that. They had understood their roles in each other’s lives from almost the day they met. She had told him a few times that he was a father figure to her, though too scared to ever say that she felt he may as well be the man who made her, and she knew he loved her like family. But he had never told her in words that he saw himself as her father and to hear him say it made her feel light.   
“That was what ye called me, aye? Yer ‘dad’?” he went on.  
Her cheeks turned pink at him mentioning it. “Yeah, um, I-I…I’m sorry about that. It just kinda came out and I couldn’t stop it. I’m sorry if it made you feel uncomfortable. I’ll never call you that again, I promise.”  
“I wouldna mind if ye did. Call me ‘Dad’, I mean.”  
She had not expected him to say that. “Really?” she confirmed.   
He gave a small smile and said, “Ye are my daughter, Skylar. Yer as much my true daughter as Fergus is my true son. And ye ken well I have never thought of him as otherwise. I told him as he grew up he could call me ‘Da’ or ‘Papa’ like in France. But, only God knows why, he’s stuck to Milord all these years.”  
She chuckled, feeling happy tears start forming in the corners of her eyes.   
He continued, “So, if ye’d like, I’d be verra happy and honored te be yer Dad.”  
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she said, “I’d like that very very much.” She hugged him even tighter that she had earlier that day. “I love you, Dad.”  
Jamie squeezed her close to him, getting choked up hearing one of his children say that. “I love ye too, mo nighean.”  
Since her mother had died, Skylar had never felt more loved than she did in this moment, a kind of love far different than how Ian loved her. And having her brother, sister-in-law and soon to be niece or nephew, another mother in Claire, and her soulmate all already with her, being able to officially call Jamie ‘Dad’ made her at last feel complete in the life she had made in this century.   
When the two got back, they were all glad that they were able to go about the rest of their day and sleep that night without fear of anything trying to attack them.  
The next morning, they all sat together to eat breakfast while Claire, again, tended to Myers’ wounds.  
“Try to walk a bit every day,” she advised him. “It’ll help keep your strength up.”  
“I’ll do whatever ye say, Mistress,” Myers promised. “I owe ye me life.”  
“We all do,” Ian agreed.   
“I didn’t wish fer ye te be diggin’ a buryin’ ground before buildin’ yer cabin.”  
Jamie couldn’t help but laugh a little at the morbid joke. “Yer welcome te stay with us until yer well.”  
Jamie suddenly stood up when he saw something approach behind Myers. Everyone else looked and stood as well when they saw the Cherokee walking towards them.   
Fearing the worst, Jamie drew his pistol and made his way to meet them, keeping himself between them and his family. Ian kept Skylar behind him as well and she held his hand. She looked at each tribe member as they appeared, but her eyes rested on one man as he began to speak.   
“Our chief, Nawohali,” he introduced. The mentioned came forward and stood in front of Jamie. He to spoke to Jamie in Cherokee and, though she couldn’t understand what he was saying, Skylar could tell he wasn’t angry or giving any warning.   
The first man translated for him, “He prays that no more blood is spiled between us.”  
“That is our wish as well,” Jamie said, putting his gun back in his belt.  
The Native said back to his chief Jamie’s response and Nawohali raised his hand to gesture to Jamie and said, “Yona dihi.”  
Skylar wanted to ask Myers if he knew what that meant, but she didn’t want to make any sort of interruption to the conversation taking place.  
“Yona dihi?” Jamie questioned.   
Nawohali answered in his own language, and the other man explained. “It means ‘bear killer.’ That is how you will be known to our people.”  
Skylar bit her lip, trying to keep her grin in check as she thought, still being nervous to speak, _Omigod. That is everything._  
Ian’s excitement over the name overpowered any nerves he may have been feeling. “Bear Killer?” he repeated, clearly very proud that the man who had earned that title was his uncle.   
Skylar felt the same way about her father. She couldn’t believe that she was the daughter of this king of men who had won the trust of the Cherokee. And as the Native Americans joined them to eat at Jamie’s invitation and they were all talking together and learning about each other, she said another major thank you to the universe for bringing her to Jamie Fraser and the life she never thought to even dream she would get to live.


	38. A Daughter's Virtue

Free of fear of the Cherokee’s wrath and the danger of any wild animals, for the time being, Fraser’s Ridge was finally once again underway.   
The main focus now was on getting their cabin done. Using the trees they had cut down when they first cleared their land, Ian and Jamie stripped them of their bark and shaped them to fit together.   
As she watched the logs stack perfectly on top of one another, Skylar thought, _It’s like that toy my mom had when she was a kid, Lincoln Logs._  
While Jamie and Ian kept busy with the actual construction, Skylar and Claire took on everything else that had to be done to maintain care of the Ridge. They fed and groomed the animals, did all of the washing and cooking, kept the saws, axes, etc sharp, and on and on.   
Over the next two months, significant progress was being made and the walls of the cabin were growing taller every day. Jamie would stare at it in pride every night when work was done for the day, and he would often walk around inside it and imagine every little detail that he was going to add.   
Also during those two months, Skylar was getting frustrated. Not with the work. She did every chore and task given to her with a smile. It was needing to do it all in a long skirt that she was done with. She was so thankful every day that she was able to get away with not wearing a corset, but she couldn’t escape having to wear a dress.   
She kept thinking about how much she took pants for granted in the 21st Century and that now she would give anything for a pair of jeans.  
Too many times to keep count of, she would trip over the bottom of her skirt or it would get gross from dragging through the mud. Sometimes it would even get scorched from sweeping into the fire. It would also hinder her ability to work productively. She would often have to hike up her skirt to not step on it which would then only give her one free hand to use and, in turn, make her tasks twice as long.   
She reached her breaking point one afternoon when Jamie and Ian had gone out to hunt. She had gathered an armful of firewood Jamie had chopped before he left, and dared to use both arms to carry it to the collection near the shelter. But when she was about halfway there, she accidentally stepped on the hem of her skirt and fell forward, sending the wood flying. She grunted as she hit the ground.   
Claire, who was tending to her small garden that she had started, hurried to her. “Are you alright, Skylar?” she asked as she helped the poor girl up.  
“This sucks!” Skylar exclaimed, dusting herself off. “I’m done with these damn skirts! They’re so impractical. It had to have been a man who decided women in this time can only wear skirts and dresses. He must have thought no woman would ever be having to do “man’s work” in the middle of the goddamn woods. If I can’t wear pants, whatever. But I’m cutting this into a miniskirt because I don’t give a shit anymore!”  
Claire chuckled softly with a small amused smile at the teenager’s rant. “Come with me. I have something for you.” She led Skylar to the shelter.  
“Is it scissors? Because I wasn’t kidding about the miniskirt.”  
They walked inside and, from under her bed, Claire took out a piece of folded clothing and handed it to the girl.   
Curious, Skylar took it and unfolded it. She gasped when she saw that Claire had handed her a pair of pants. She held them up to look at them better.   
“Where did you get these?” she asked in utter amazement.   
“I made them. I could tell you were having trouble with the skirts so, after I finished mine, I figured you could do with some too. I just finished them a couple days ago and was waiting to give them to you.” Claire had started wearing her own a little over a month ago and Skylar had been terribly, and silently, jealous. She figured it was more acceptable for a grown woman to wear pants and if she had voiced wanting some for herself, she would have been shot down. So for Claire to have noticed her struggle and surprise her with a pair nearly identical to hers was the best gift Skylar had ever been given.   
“You like them?” Claire asked, just to make sure.  
“I love them! Thank you, Claire! Thank you so so much!” Skylar hugged the older woman tight.  
“I hope they fit. You look about the same size as Brianna, so I went off of that.”  
“I’m trying them on right now.”  
Claire grinned. “I’ll leave you too it,” and she went back outside, closing the door behind her.   
Skylar didn’t wait another second before taking off her skirt and stepping into the pants. She tucked in her shirt and buttoned them easily. They fit perfect and were very comfortable. She couldn’t have been any happier in this moment.   
She ran back outside and announced, “I am never taking these off. This changes everything. I’m going to be able to do, like, twice as much every day. I could build our cabin myself. Thank you, Claire. Seriously. This really means a lot to me.”  
“You are very welcome.”  
Skylar went back to work with a much better attitude. Though she never complained about doing any of the jobs, she suddenly felt so much more willing and motivated to go above and beyond what she was asked.  
After a couple more hours, she was taking a break and sitting at the fire. Ian had been teaching her how to knit after picking up some wool on a trip to town a couple weeks ago, and she was practicing it on her own. She looked up when she heard footsteps and saw Jamie was back.   
“This should hold us over fer a while,” he told them, referring to the large deer he was dragging behind him on his man-made sled.   
“Good thing we just finished the shed for our meat,” Claire commented.  
“Aye. It’ll help keep it fresh.”   
“Where’s Ian?” Skylar asked while Jamie worked on getting the deer into the small wooden shed.   
“We ran inte Myers on our way back and he was able to convince Ian te come with him te the Cherokee village te do some trading.”  
“I can’t imagine it took much convincing.”  
Jamie laughed. “No, it didna.”   
Since they become friendly with the Natives, Ian had been growing more and more fascinated by their culture and ways of life. He took every opportunity to interact with them and visit their village. Myers taught him everything he knew as well as more of the language; and he picked it all up very fast. He wasn’t yet fluent, but he could speak full sentences in Cherokee and have simple conversations. Skylar would joke that one day he was going to decide to live among them and become a Cherokee himself.  
When Jamie shut the carcass in and turned back towards Skylar, he saw her stand up to put another log on the fire. And when she did, he was able to see what she was wearing.  
His eyes widened as he questioned, “What in God’s name are ye wearin’, lass?”  
Skylar smiled wide. “Pants! Claire made them for me.” Jamie glanced to his wife from the corners of his eyes, but Claire pretended to not notice.  
“No,” he said plainly to the younger girl.   
“No, what?”  
“Ye canna wear those.”  
Her jaw dropped. “What? What do you mean? Why?”  
“Because…” He got closer to her, as if nervous someone might overhear them discussing the issue. “It is not decent fer a young lass te be wearin’ somethin’ so…so just…”  
“So…what? Please finish that sentence.”  
Jamie was blatantly uncomfortable on the topic and didn’t want to put the thought into words. “Everyone can see yer…yer body.”  
Skylar gasped dramatically and replied dripping with sarcasm, “Oh no! Now everyone will know I have a butt like every other human to ever exist. How will I recover from the shame?” Jamie’s only response was a deep exhale in frustration. “Dad, you’re acting crazy right now. It’s not a big deal. They’re just for me to wear around the Ridge. It’s not like I’m wearing them into town. Who’s even gonna see me in them? It’s just you, Claire, and Ian.”  
He straightened his back and his face got much more serious when she said that. “That is what I’m most concerned about.”  
She was confused what he meant by that, but then it clicked. “Oh, I get it. You think that if I wear pants that are a bit more fitted than my dresses, Ian will lose all sense of self control, right?” She raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to agree.  
And he did just that. “Aye, that is what I think. And as yer father, I will no be puttin’ my daughter’s virtue in such a risk.”  
“Omigod, my freaking virtue. Christ,” she muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes.  
“Skylar, I know that ye think I’m bein’ ridiculous. I dinna ken what the boys are like in yer time, but here, a young lad is only ever thinkin’ about one thing. It’s why I kept Fergus and Marsali apart while on the Artemis, remember? And though ye may think he is, Ian is no different.”  
 _Oh, I am very aware he’s no different. But neither am I,_ she thought, needing to hide it from her face that sex with Ian was the one thing on her mind most of the time as well.   
Instead she said, “But you know Ian would never force himself on me or do anything I wasn’t okay with. And if he ever did, I would break his arm. You’ve known him longer than I have, Dad, so you know you can trust him. Besides, I’m not getting rid of these pants. So we’re all just gonna have to deal.” She sat back down and picked up her knitting again, signaling to Jamie that the discussion was over.  
Jamie just sighed, knowing there was no point in continuing to argue right now, and walked to join Claire who had been watching everything.  
“The joys of raising a teenage girl,” she commented with a knowing smile. “This is only the beginning. You’re going to love it.”  
“I can already tell she’s goin’ te put me in an early grave. But it’s worth it.”  
An hour or so after Jamie had come back, Ian returned as well.   
“Yank?” he called out to find her.  
“Over here!” she answered. She was filling the troughs for Clarence and the horses with fresh food and water.   
“I have te show ye what the Cherokee traded te me,” he said as he went to her. But he stopped in his tracks when he got closer and could see her better.  
She saw him pause and his eyes widened, just like Jamie’s had but for a much different reason. She pressed her mouth together to force back a smile as he looked her over.   
She couldn’t help but tease him. “What’s wrong?”  
“What are ye wearin’?”  
“Pants. Do you like them?” She spun around to show him, keeping her back to him for a few seconds longer than necessary.   
He walked the rest of the way to her as he said, “They’re…they’re verra nice.” Standing in front of her, he swallowed hard as his eyes went over her again. Suddenly, he snapped his head up from her and looked all around him.   
“What are you doing?”  
“I’m makin’ sure Uncle Jamie isna nearby. If he was, I fear he’d be able to read me mind and see all the indecent thoughts I’m havin’ right now about ye.” He put his hands so low on her back that he may as well be touching her butt, with the concern of his uncle catching him being what stopped him from doing so.  
Butterflies erupted in her stomach and what felt like electricity shot through her body. She put her arms around his neck and told him, “Well, lucky for you, Dad went to get some more water since I used the last of it on the animals.”  
“And Auntie Claire?” he asked, hopeful yet trying to control the excitement in his voice as he pulled her against him.  
“She’s in the shelter doing some sort of medicinal magic with her herbs. So, tragically and unfortunately, we can’t do anything.”  
He took in a long breath and let it out slowly. “Are ye quite sure the forest ground wouldna do? Yer still set on a bed fer yer first time?”  
Skylar chuckled at his near desperate eagerness. “It’ll be worth it, Youngin’. I’ll make damn sure of that, I promise you.”  
“I ken well it’ll be more than worth it. But that’s what’s makin’ it so hard te wait.”  
“Maybe this will help tide you over, for a little while at least.”  
She stood on her toes and gripped the back of his head to bring him down to meet her. They started to make out with such intensity that if anyone had seen them, they would think they were trying to swallow each other. But this was all they could do to help ease the energy, per say, that had built up so deeply and densely in them. So they went hard and let their imaginations run rampant.   
Skylar felt goosebumps form when she felt Ian move his hands down to rest on her backside. His mind had gone blank of everything but Skylar, so he wasn’t thinking about the possible dangers of his action.   
After an amount of time far too short for either of their satisfactions, they were interrupted by someone loudly clearing their throat. They turned to glare at whoever it was, the lust-filled haze they were in making them momentarily forget who they lived on the land with. But when they saw the 6’4” highland warrior whose red hair was as fiery as his temper standing only a few yards from them, they came back to Earth and let go off each other, putting a solid three feet between them.   
Ian clasped his hands securely behind his back, and put his full attention to his uncle. Though the stare the man was giving the almost 18 year old made his body feel ice cold, a complete contrast to the feeling of fire running through him just two seconds previous, he was more scared to look away and appear more guilty.   
Jamie spoke to him with an eerie calmness that did not match the expression on his face. “Ian, go help yer auntie. Now,” not giving any specifics as to what help was needed, since likely none was. But Ian didn’t question it.  
“Aye,” was all he said back. Without a look back to Skylar, he hurried into the shelter, feeling Jamie’s death gaze on him the whole way.   
Jamie turned back to Skylar, whose face was still flushed from both lingering excitement from kissing Ian and embarrassment at being caught. He was about to say something along the lines of ‘this is what I warned you about,’ but she beat him to it.  
“Just so you know, I started that. _I_ kissed _him_ first. So, please don’t kill him over this.”  
“It doesna matter who started it. He should have ended it. He shouldna be kissin’ ye like that before yer married, wi’ his hands all over ye.”  
“Ian’s not a virgin, Dad. You know about Brighid, and you had no problem with him kissing her like that or having his hands on her.”  
“That is no the same. Brighid is no my daughter. And before ye say it, aye, Ian is me nephew and I love him dearly. But he is also the man who is courtin’ me daughter, and so te see him handlin’ ye like he’s tryin’ te get ye te bed…I dinna like it and I don’t want it happenin’.”  
“We are human and kinda like each other a lot. We can’t just go without touching each other. But, I don’t want Ian to be scared for his safety every day. If it’ll make you feel better, I promise we will keep it tame and to a minimum around you. Deal?”  
He did not love the agreement. He wanted them to keep it tame and to a minimum at all times, even when they were out of his sight. But he knew that was impossible. She was right, they were human with human needs and very much in love. So this was the best he was going to get.   
“I’ll accept that fer now,” he agreed. “I will be havin’ a long man-to man talk with Ian about this though.”  
“I’ll make sure to warn him.”

OUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROUTLANDEROULANDEROUTLANDER

Another month gone and it was now November.   
Much to Jamie’s disdain, Skylar hardly ever wore anything other than the pants. But he had to admit that they did help her get more work done much faster than before.   
Both she and Claire had started to help with shaving and shaping the trees for the cabin, and now, with all four of them working on it, it was nearly done.   
By mid-November, the shape of it was fully finished and they were now focusing on the inside of it. What they couldn’t make themselves, they bought. Jamie had taken Skylar into Woolam’s Creek to help him pick out different pieces of furniture. Together they found a kitchen table, some chairs, a few cabinets, a wardrobe, and some decorative pieces. They took some of the smaller items home with them, and planned to pick up the rest of it when they would come back to town after Marsali gave birth; which would likely be very soon.  
During the rare free time they had when not working on something, Skylar and Ian stayed true to their promise of limiting their PDA around Jamie. They were able to keep their distance during the day, and when they would be close again at night, they restricted themselves to just holding hands or kissing chastely.   
As challenging as it was sometimes, it was worth it because Jamie was beginning to lessen his hovering. He was still keeping them in sight at all times, but over the last month he wasn’t physically keeping them apart or sending threatening looks to Ian (as much). He could tell they really were trying to appease him and show they were able to be trusted. To show that it was working, he chose one day to give them a small gift.  
On the morning of November 15th, Ian’s eyes slowly opened as he felt Skylar kissing his neck.   
She knew he was awake when she felt him move a little and heard him sigh softly.  
“Happy birthday, Youngin’,” she whispered sweetly. She kissed his neck one more time then laid back down behind him, wrapping an arm around him to hold him close against her.  
He smiled and let out a sleepy chuckle. He closed his eyes again and put a hand over hers. “Wakin’ up next te ye is better than any birthday present I could ever ask fer.”  
“Really? Because personally, I like Dad’s gift to you of leaving us alone in here.”  
That woke him up.  
“Are we really alone?” Skylar nodded into his back.  
And before she could blink, he moved on top of her and started to kiss her eagerly.  
She pulled away, giggling and holding the back of his neck. “You don’t waste any time, do you?”  
“We get moments like this so rarely, especially of late. We need te take advantage of them when we have them.”  
He kissed her again and she returned it just as fiercely. As they went on, things started to progress very quickly.   
Skylar brought her hands up under his shirt, and drew her nails up and down his back very lightly. Ian grabbed one of her legs and attached it to his hip while slipping his hand under her skirt and holding onto her thigh to keep it in place, thanking her in his head that by some chance she had decided to wear a dress yesterday instead of pants. He kissed from her mouth down to her neck, nipping as he went as well. Skylar had to bite her lip to keep any sounds from getting out in case Jamie was nearby outside.  
But any fear of Jamie catching them disappeared in an instant as she thought, _If we’re really going to take advantage of this time alone, we might as well fully go for it. We might not get another chance for a while._  
She grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head, a little nervous that, for any reason, he might think she was taking things too far. But he didn’t resist. In fact, he followed her lead and started pulling out the laces from the front of her dress to open it, speeding up as he saw her breasts start to show. As he did, she hooked her leg still at his hip fully around him and kissed all across his collar bone, up his neck to his jaw and back down.  
They could feel themselves getting more worked up and excited as they were so ready to finally be with each other like they wanted to for so long.   
And they would have gone through with it if not for Jamie calling through the door and making them both freeze, “Alright, ye’ve had long enough. Time fer ye both te come out. Now.”   
Skylar could have screamed. They had been so close. Jamie had pulled them apart from pretty passionate moments before, but this one was the most painful. Ian felt it too.  
He dropped his head into the crook of her neck and let out a long, loud, very frustrated groan.   
“He has the worst timin’,” he spoke against her skin.  
“Or the best, from his point of view.”   
Trying to just ignore what had happened, Ian began to kiss her neck again and brought his hand back to her thigh.  
Skylar closed her eyes and let out a soft moan, enjoying it again for a moment before she remembered and pulled herself back. She pushed his hand away and forced him to look at her. “No, no, no. We gotta get out there. Otherwise, Dad will come in here himself.”  
Though his body and mind were demanding he do otherwise, he reluctantly agreed. “Yer right. And I hate that ye are.”  
“Believe me, I hate it too. But we to just rip off the bandaid.”  
“What’s a bandaid? Is it somethin’ as painful as this?”  
“I’ll explain later.” She pushed him to sitting up and she followed.   
Ian picked up his shirt from the floor and put it back on while Skylar retied her dress and pulled it up so she was fully covered. When she was decent, she got up and stood in front of him, putting her hands on his shoulders and his on her very lower hips.   
“Soon, my love,” she promised. “Maybe for _my_ birthday, Dad will give me the same gift and let us be alone for just a little bit longer.” She leaned down to him and kissed him long and slow, but made herself back away from him before they got carried away. “Come on, he’s probably losing his patience.”  
Ian’s face down to his neck turned red as he replied, “Ye go on. I’ll be out in a minute. I need te…calm meself down first, before I can face Uncle Jamie. If ye ken me meanin’.”  
It took her a second, but the embarrassed expression he wore helped her understand and her whole body suddenly felt very warm when she noticed the problem as well.  
“Oh, right. Okay. I’ll make up an excuse for you.” He just nodded and she went out on her own, heading to the fire where Jamie and Claire were cooking breakfast. The colder morning air was a relief to her burning skin.   
“Where’s Ian?” Jamie asked, a little suspicious when Skylar sat down by herself.  
“Um…” Her mind raced to try to think of anything that wouldn’t give Jamie a hint at what almost went down. “It’s just taking him a bit longer to wake up. He was basically dead to the world when you knocked.”  
“Ye were sleepin’, the two’a ye? When ye were alone in there?”  
“Yes.” She looked him in the eye confidently as she answered to further her lie that she wasn’t lying.   
Choosing to believe her, he simply said, “Alright,” and stood up to get a couple extra pieces of firewood to keep close for when they needed it.   
“Skylar,” Claire whispered when he was far enough away. She turned her head to the woman. “Just so you know, you missed a few loops.” She pointed to the front of her dress with her face screaming that she knew the truth. Skylar nearly broke her neck to look down. She had been so distracted when fixing her dress that she had tangled her laces and put them through some of the wrong loops.   
“Oh, fuck,” she muttered. She looked back at Claire in a slight panic. “Did Dad notice?”  
“I don’t think so. But if anything on Ian is out of place, he likely will.”  
“We didn’t actually sleep together, we were just messing-”  
“I know, and you can thank Mr. Myers for it,” Claire suddenly said at full volume. Skylar looked over her shoulder and saw Jamie was behind her. “Skylar was just saying how good the bacon smelled.”  
“Aye, Myers was verra generous te share it wi’ us. He thought Ian would enjoy it fer his birthday,” Jamie added, sitting back down and putting the wood beside him. He glanced to the shelter door and back to Skylar. “What is takin’ him so long?”  
“You know how slow he can be in the mornings sometimes, and I guess he decided to milk it on his birthday,” Skylar told him, trying to will Jamie to not pay attention to her dress.  
Finally, they heard the shelter door open and Ian came out to join them.   
“Good mornin’,” he greeted them as he sat next to Skylar.   
“Happy birthday, Ian,” Claire said to him, smiling.   
Jamie followed, “Happy birthday, lad. We’re verra glad we’re able to spend this one wi’ ye here in our new home.”  
“I thank ye both. And I am as well. This is truly my best birthday, havin’ it be in America and with all of ye.” He looked at Skylar and took her hand to kiss it. She kissed his cheek in response and pressed her face affectionatly into the base of his neck. She pecked him there which made him shiver as he remembered her doing the same thing, but more, less than ten minutes ago. Luckily, he had been able to pass it off as shiver from the cold.   
“18 years old. I feel like I’ve known you your whole life,” Claire told him.   
“I wish I had kent ye me whole life. I canna believe it’s only been a year since I met ye,” Ian replied.   
“And here’s te the next year and the next and the next,” Jamie said, pouring each of them a small drink of whiskey; drinking alcohol in the monrings had become something that Skylar didn’t think twice about anymore. He raised his cup and continued, “Ye’ve grown inte quite the young man over the last year, Ian. Ye’ve matured beyond yer years and have proven yerself te be the man ye sought te be when ye first came te me in Edinburgh. I’m honored te be yer uncle. Slainte.”  
“Slainte,” the three repeated and they drank.  
The rest of the morning was very peaceful. They just ate and talked and laughed for hours. John Quincy Myers showed up in the early afternoon to wish Ian a happy birthday as well, and invited him to the Cherokee village as a gift, which he gladly accepted.  
“Skylar can come along too, if she’d so like. I imagine ye dinna want te be apart from her teday if ye can help it,” Myers offered.  
“I’d love to!” she agreed, making Ian smile even bigger and brighter.   
Seeing their Native American friends was so wonderful and Skylar was surprised at how warmly she had been welcomed, never having been there and only meeting them once briefly.   
“Ian has spoken te them of ye every time he comes, so they ken ye well,” Myers explained.   
She watched Ian interact with the Natives with such adoration. Hearing him talk about his times with them was so different to seeing it in real time. He fit in easily and seemed to get along well with everyone he spoke to. It warmed her heart to see him be so happy.   
On their way back to the Ridge, Myers was driving his wagon and pretending not to hear the two teenagers talk in the back of it. They were sitting against its wall and Skylar hugged her arms around his torso with her head on his shoulder and legs draped across his. He had his arm around her to keep her close and was playing with her hair.  
“Maybe by some stroke of miraculous luck, Uncle Jamie and Auntie Claire will have gone out fer the day, and when we get back, we can finish what we started this mornin’,” he said.  
“Ian,” she hissed quietly. Her cheeks turned red and she looked up to see if the woodsman heard him.   
“It’s alright. Ye dinna have te worry about him. I’ve talked te him about such things before and he hasna said anythin’ te Uncle Jamie.”  
“This damn wagon creaks so loud I canna hear anythin’ that gets said in it, especially behind me. I must get it fixed,” Myers said “to himself”, reassuring Skylar that anything they talked about was safe with him.  
She chuckled, relieved. “Well, I wouldn’t get your hopes up,” she said, coming back to Ian’s original statement. “Dad may be trusting us enough to leave us alone for 15 minutes in the morning, but I think that’s the most we’re getting for a while.”  
“I’ll be grateful fer those 15 minutes fer the rest of my life. It was better than my birthday last year.”  
“What did we even do last year? I can hardly remember. It was before…everything.”  
“Aye. We were still in Edinburgh. It was ye, me, Fergus, Uncle Jamie, Willoughby, Lesley and Hayes. We just had a dinner in that tavern we went te so rarely because it was expensive.”  
“Oh, the, um, The Lavender Thistle.”  
“Right. It was verra nice and I enjoyed it greatly.”  
“Then why was this one so much better?”  
“Because last year, me heart was breakin’ durin’ it. I was pinin’ over ye still and every time ye smiled at me that night, I thought more and more that I would never have yer love the way I loved ye.”  
“God, I was being such an idiot. I was already so in love with you but I was in such denial because I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. I’m so sorry it took me so long to actually come to my senses.”  
“We’re tegether now, and that’s all that matters.”  
“Til death do us part.”  
“Practicin’ yer wedding vows, aye? Comin’ around on the idea?” he joked.  
Instead of saying her answer out loud, she lifted her head to his and kissed him. He cupped her cheek and kissed her back sweetly. They didn’t go into a heavy make out, they just enjoyed the feeling of the other’s lips on theirs for a few moments.   
Skylar could have fallen asleep as Ian continued to stroke her hair for the rest of their ride home. She leaned against his chest and closed her eyes, thinking about if she still did want to wait to marry him. Only four months ago, she was so sure she did. But now she was starting to question that. She was so unbelievably in love with him and wanted to have their own life together.   
_He wants to wait though, she remembered. He told me that. He was glad that I wanted to. I don’t want to scare him by saying I might be changing my mind. But if he mentions it again, we can talk about it. Jesus Christ. I can’t believe I ever lived in a time where getting enough likes on a picture was the biggest thing to worry about._


	39. One Change of Mind

A week after Ian’s birthday, the wonderful news reached the Ridge that Marsali had given birth to a baby boy whom she and Fergus named Germain.   
The moment they read the letter, they immediately made preparations to leave for Wilmington the next morning.   
Skylar was so excited she could barely sleep that night. As loud, crowded, and stressful as her foster home had been, she missed taking care of the smaller kids; and that was what she had enjoyed at Lallybroch as well. She loved entertaining all 500 of Ian’s exhausting nieces and nephews. And now she had her own nephew to love and she could not wait to meet him.   
When they set out on their three day journey early the next morning, they tried to ride as long and far as they could each day before needing to stop for the night. Doing so ended up shortening their trip slightly and they arrived just as the sun was fully in the sky on the third day.   
They walked into the tavern and up the stairs to Fergus and Marsali’s door. Jamie knocked, not wanting to just walk in and intrude on a private moment the new parents may be having with their child, and only a second later, Fergus opened the door and greeted them with a huge smile.  
“I’m so happy you could all come so quickly. Come in, meet our son,” he said to his family. They followed him inside and he led them to the bedroom.  
“Yank, I’m losin’ feelin’,” Ian whispered to Skylar as they walked.  
She loosened her hold on his hand. “Sorry.” She was so excited she felt she was about to bust at the seams. But she also felt nervous for some reason, like she was concerned about this week old baby’s first impression of her.   
When they walked into the room, they saw Marsali sitting on the edge of the bed holding a tiny bundle of blankets in her arms. She looked over to the group who were all frozen at the door, waiting for permission to get closer, and said softly, “Come say hello. He willna bite.”  
Afraid that any sudden movements would scare the new little human, the four cautiously made their way over to the bed. Skylar sat next to her sister-in-law while Jamie, Claire and Ian stood around them.   
Marsali moved the blanket fully off her baby’s head so they could see him, and Skylar melted when she saw his face. He had what looked like five strands of brown hair but the longest and thickest eyelashes she had ever seen. He was sound asleep so she couldn’t tell what color his eyes were, but he definitely had Marsali’s nose. He had the typical pink chubby cheeks of a newborn and his lips were so red it looked like he had been eating cherries.   
“Oh my gosh, Marsali. He’s a little angel,” Skylar commented.  
“He’s perfect,” the new mom agreed. “I could stare at him all day.”  
“He’s so wee. No matter how many bairns I see, I’m always surprised at how small they are,” Ian added.  
Fergus came up next to Jamie and put a hand on his father’s shoulder. “You are a grandpere now, Milord. How do you feel?”  
“I’ve never felt more pride than I do in this moment,” he answered. His voice started getting shaky from being so emotional as he went on, “Being a grandparent is somethin’ I thought fer so long would never happen. And now…I have no words. I’m so happy.” He looked at Claire and they shared a small but loaded smile, knowing they were both thinking about their daughter.  
“Auntie Skylar, would you like te hold yer nephew?” Marsali offered.  
Skylar looked at her, silently asking if it really was okay. The blonde nodded and Skylar said, “I’d love to.”   
Marsali carefully traded her son off into Skylar’s arms. The first time aunt cradled the little boy and watched him sleep.  
“Oh my gosh,” she whispered quietly, falling more in love with him as the seconds passed. She looked to Marsali and Fergus and jokingly told them, “Well, it was nice seeing you. I’m just going to be taking him and we’ll be going. He’s mine now.” She pretended to stand up and Fergus put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.  
“Oi,” he said, laughing along with everyone else.  
“Here, Granny will hold him safe,” Claire spoke up. Skylar passed him off, then went next to Ian and put both of her hands on his shoulder, and he put an arm around her waist.   
She smiled as she watched everyone fawn over the tiny person, and when he went back to his mother, Skylar saw how happy Marsali was holding him and how her face lit up looking at him, which made a strange feeling start to bubble in her stomach that was becoming recently more familiar.  
 _Oh no,_ she thought. _This isn’t good._  
She could feel the baby fever coming on and she hoped it was only because of the excitement over her nephew, and that once they left she would be fine again.   
She looked at Ian and her heart fluttered at how enamored he was over the baby with his eyes even brighter than usual. She suddenly couldn’t help imagining her and Ian with their own little one and living, married, as a family in their own home. She was having these fantasies more and more, but they didn’t take place years into the future like ones before. These ones she imagined as soon, and that scared her.  
And each time, including now, she would tell herself, _What is wrong with me? We can’t have a baby now. Not before we’ve been able to start our life just on our own first. I need to snap out of this. We’ve had this discussion! We want to wait. Both of us._  
She turned her head from Ian at the sound of Germain crying.  
“Are ye hungry, mo mhac?” Marsali asked the infant. “Ye ready fer one of yer thousand feeds of the day?”  
“We’ll leave you, Sky and Milady in peace for that, love,” Fergus said. He kissed his wife and went into the next room with Ian and Jamie to give Marsali privacy.  
Skylar sat back down on the bed while the new mother undid the buttons on her top to breastfeed. Germain latched on easily, happy to be receiving the milk he had been screaming for.   
“Does that hurt?” Skylar wondered.  
“Me nipples are a bit sore, but other than that, no. Tis’nt painful.”  
“You can always try putting a few drops of your breast milk on them to soothe the pain. If they’re cracking that’ll help heal them as well,” Claire advised.  
“My own milk? I might try that. They can be quite irritatin’ with him drinkin’ every few hours.”  
“Let me know if the pain doesn’t go away over the next few weeks. I want to make sure you don’t have an infection.”  
“So, what was it like giving birth?” Skylar asked to change the subject.  
“It was no picnic, I can tell ye that. It felt like I was bein’ ripped in half from the inside out. Every pain that came just got worse and worse until I was beggin’ fer a mercy killin’. Then when I had te push, I thought my parts were on fire and there was no relief.”  
Skylar held back a grimace, feeling pain just from Marsali describing it. If there was anything that would get rid of her baby fever, that was it.  
“Jeez, that sounds like actual hell,” she commented.  
“It is,” Claire agreed. “Pushing a whole human being out of your body is such a feat of strength. And men dare to say we’re the weaker sex.”  
Marsali went on, “But, just when ye feel ye canna do it anymore and yer ready te give up, and yer wantin’ te murder yer husband fer doin’ this te ye, ye hear yer bairn cry as he takes his first breath. And then every memory of the worst pain of yer life vanishes. Ye hold yer child fer the first time and the most powerful love ye’ve ever felt just fills ye te where ye think it’ll overflow out’a ye.” She looked down at her son who had let go of his mother and already fell right asleep again, and she smiled softly, brushing his hair back. “And ye ken that ye’d do it all again fer yer little miracle if ye had te.”  
Germain gave the tiniest smile in his sleep and tugged hard on the strings on Skylar’s heart, and uterus.  
 _Oh, Goddamnit._   
Marsali was struggling to rebutton her shirt with one hand, so Skylar offered, “I can hold him for a minute if you want so you can do that.” Marsali placed him in her arms and Skylar rocked him very gently.  
“Marsali, tell me all the bad things about childbirth again. Please,” Skylar pleaded, not taking her eyes off the baby.  
“Uh oh,” Claire chuckled. “Is there something you need to discuss with Ian?”  
“We’ve had that discussion already. He wants to wai-um…we want to wait a while longer to get married and have babies.”   
“ _Both_ of ye are wantin’ te wait?” Marsali questioned, not fully believing her.  
Skylar hesitated, then nodded, hoping neither of them saw her pause. She turned her head to them. “Yes. Both of us.”  
“Yer a terrible liar, Sky.”  
She tried to think of anything to say that could help her, but she knew no matter what she said, they would be able to see the truth on her face.  
“Back at River Run, you were so set against the idea of marriage and children right now,” Claire reminded her. “Did something change your mind?”  
“I don’t know. For a little while now I’ve been getting more and more comfortable with the idea of getting married sooner rather than later, and having, you know, a family. And when I saw Germain, that feeling just skyrocketed and now I feel like I really really want a baby and it’s scaring me. But it doesn’t matter though. Ian said that he did not want to yet and he was so glad that I felt the same. So, I’ll wait.”  
“Have you talked to him about your new feelings?”  
She shook her head. “I don’t wanna scare him. And I’m begging both of you, please do not say anything to him about it. Or Jamie, or Fergus.”  
“Ye never know though, Skylar. If yer mind is changin’, his could be as well,” Marsali debated.  
“We agreed that we weren’t going to talk about anything regarding marriage or kids for a while, and I intend to keep that agreement. We’re so happy right now and in such a good place, I can’t risk anything ruining that. Just please promise me neither of you will bring it up.”  
“I promise,” Claire agreed.  
“As do I,” Marsali followed.  
“Thank you. Now, take your son back before I actually steal him.”  
Marsali chuckled as Skylar passed her child back to her. “Oh, come here, my love. I missed ye.”  
“I’ll bring the men back in,” Claire said and went to the door.   
Skylar looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder and smiled when she saw it was Ian. She put her hand on top of his and looked back to Germain.   
_This can’t happen_ , she kept thinking. _I need to get this out of my head. We cannot, and do not want to, have a baby right now._   
Jamie, Claire, Skylar and Ian ended up staying the night, which was great because they got to spend more time with Fergus, Marsali and Germain, but Skylar’s maternal side was only growing during those hours.   
After dinner, Marsali was exhausted, so Jamie and Claire offered to help Fergus clean up while she went to bed. Ian was alone in the living room keeping watch over Germain and Skylar stood in the doorway between the kitchen and living room just watching him interact with the baby. He was sitting in a chair holding him, smiling and speaking softly to him. He looked so natural holding a baby, like he was meant to be a father. Skylar sighed quietly as she leaned against the doorframe, feeling like she was being pulled in two totally different directions.  
 _Could we do this? Could we actually get married and have a baby?_ she continued to think while she laid on a mat in the living room that night. She looked over at Ian who was asleep next to her. _This is insane. I shouldn’t even be thinking about this. My mind was made up about this just a month ago. We agreed to wait. But maybe Marsali could be right. If I’m starting to change my mind, he could too. And the last time I was so concerned to talk to him about this, he ended up feeling the same way. It could happen again. Omigod! When high school tried to prepare us for the real world, they didn’t include how to make the choice on whether to get married and have a baby at 17._   
By the time she fell asleep, she decided that she was going to talk to Ian about being going forward with this enormous step.  
They all said goodbye to the new parents and their baby the next morning, promising to be back as soon as they could, and started for home.   
During the first two days, Skylar planned out in her head what she was going to say to Ian. She figured just being straight about it would be the best, but it was also much more terrifying.   
Every time she had an opportunity to bring it up as they rode, she chickened out. She would go to him, open her mouth to start, but would always immediately change her mind and say something completely different. And each time, she would repeatedly mentally kick herself.  
 _This is just like when I wanted to tell him I love him. I kept putting it off, and what happened? He got freakin’ kidnapped by pirates. I just need to get this over with._   
The third night that they stopped, Jamie and Claire had gone to sleep and left Skylar and Ian sitting next to the fire. He had his arm around her shoulders, and her head rested on his shoulder. She delicately drew circles on his knee and was fixated on her fingers going around and around.   
It was silent, save the crackling of the fire and an owl whoing every so often. But Skylar dared herself to break it and said, “I still can’t believe Fergus and Marsali are parents. Just a year ago they were only courting.  
“Aye. They definitely didna waste any time.”  
Skylar laughed. “Yeah. But they seem really happy with Germain.”  
“They are. They’re goin’ te be good parents.”  
“They really are.” She took in a large breath and went on, “Seeing them made me think that maybe we could-”  
“But, Christ, are they exhausted,” he interrupted, not realizing he had done so. “Seeing me siblings wi’ their new bairns, I’m able te tell; no matter how hard they try te hide it.”  
“Well, that’s understandable. Taking care of a brand new baby is a lot of work.”  
“Oh, aye. Between the feedin’s and the cryin’ and havin’ te keep cleanin’ his linen and no gettin’ any sleep, it’s a wonder they havena pulled all of their hair out’a their heads.”  
“But all of that is worth it for your child, right?”  
“Oh, of course it is. Wi’out a doubt. When we have one, I’ll do everythin’ I can te do te make sure he is cared fer and loved wi’ me whole soul. But I’d be lyin’ if I said I wasna glad we dinna have one yet.”  
Skylar’s stomach turned. “Really? You still think us waiting is the right choice?”  
“I do. Can ye imagine if we had a bairn of our own right now? We’d be goin’ out of our minds. Not only is there not enough room on the Ridge fer the four of us plus a baby, but we wanted te stay in America so we could have our own excitin’ life and not be like me Ma and Da. We’ve barely scratched that surface. There’s so much more fer us te see and do on our own first before we feel any need te settle down.”   
She just responded with an almost inaudible, “Yeah.”  
He suddenly took his arm off her, causing her to sit up. “I’m so sorry, Yank. Ye were goin’ te say somethin’ before I started goin’ off and I just fully interrupted ye. What was it?”  
“Oh, um…I was going to say exactly what you just did. It’s a good thing we’re waiting for a while. To enjoy our, uh…our freedom.”  
“I’m so happy that ye still think the same way and we can agree on this. I’m sure in a few years we’ll be much more ready fer that responsibility.”  
She nodded with a tight smile. “Definitely.”  
Her heart sunk. She wasn’t surprised though. She knew this was how he felt and why she had known it was useless to even try to have this conversation. But there had been that tiny part of her that thought just maybe he might’ve started to change his mind.   
_At least I now know for sure,_ she thought, trying to stay positive. _Besides, it wasn’t like I was really serious about this. I’d only just started thinking more about it. By tomorrow morning, I’ll be fine and completely back to normal._  
And try as she might the next morning, and the days following back on the Ridge, there was the smallest bit inside her that felt empty. She knew what the only thing that could fill it was, but she didn’t bring it up again, not even to Claire. She would just push it deep down and do whatever she could to not think about it.  
What helped with this was that on their way out of Wilmington, they had picked up the rest of the furniture they had ordered for the cabin and brought it back with them. So, Skylar was able to help Jamie set everything up and get the finishing touches done on their home. And after a week, the cabin was finally ready to be lived in.   
As Jamie and Claire moved their things from the shelter into the cabin, Skylar and Ian wondered if there was a chance they might be left by themselves in the shelter. But Jamie made it very clear that Skylar was to sleep in the cabin as well, separate from Ian. They couldn’t say they were shocked by the decision, but they definitely weren’t happy about it. They went along with it, however, because they knew arguing would get them nowhere, and only make Jamie more unwilling to ever give them privacy.  
Daily life continued on as normal. With the cabin complete, their main focus shifted to bringing settlers onto the land. Jamie had come up with an agreement for the tenants that was more than affordable. Anyone who settled onto the land would receive 100 acres with no rent until they were able to produce a good harvest. Once they had the harvest, their rent would then be no more than one half penny per acre per year. It was any farmer’s dream. Jamie and Ian had the plan to go into Woolam’s Creek to meet with the Scottish settlers and share their proposal.   
“There’s no way in hell any of them can refuse this offer. They’d be stupid to,” Skylar commented. Jamie had asked her to come with them, but Skylar decided to stay back to help Claire with the Mueller family’s daughter’s birth.   
When Claire had been out one day gathering herbs, she met a woman named Rosewitha Mueller and her pregnant daughter, Petronella. They lived only a couple miles from Fraser’s Ridge with the rest of their family. Being told that they had no midwife, and the nearest one being 3 days away, Claire offered her services which they gladly accepted.   
When Claire told the others about this, Skylar jumped at the opportunity to assist. She figured that it would be good for her to know how births happen in this century since she would be going through it herself one day, but she also thought that being around someone else’s baby might help to fill that still empty spot in her.   
They went to the Mueller’s the next day to do an exam on Petronella and found out she was almost at full term. Claire ordered her to be on full time bed rest and she and Skylar came to check on her again later that week. When they came the second time, Gerhard and Tommy, Rosewitha’s husband and son respectively, had arrived home from Cross Creek.   
“My wife has told me all about you, Frau Clara,” Gerhard said when he met them. “About how much you and your daughter are helping my Petronella prepare for the baby.”   
When Claire had introduced Skylar to the Muellers as her daughter, Skylar very nearly started crying. It made her feel warm inside every time Jamie referred to her as his daughter, but she didn’t know that hearing Claire say it was something she needed.   
“It’s about time I start saying it, since it’s the truth,” Claire told her with a smile. Skylar couldn’t have been happier to know Claire saw her as her own and she reciprocated the feeling of thinking of Claire as another mother. She didn’t feel ready to call her Mom yet though, and Claire understood and respected that completely. “I hope you know that I would never try to replace your real mother,” she assured the young girl, and Skylar believed her wholeheartedly.   
After their third check in on Petronella, Claire decided that they would come back when Jamie and Ian left, and stay with the Muellers until the baby came so they didn’t have to keep going back and forth, especially since the soon to be mother would likely go into labor very soon.   
During the week in between their last visit and when they would go to stay, Skylar was starting to get sick. It was just the beginnings of a cold with a runny nose and constant cough, but it was extremely annoying. She didn’t have any DayQuill, throat lozenges or even tissues to help her get through it. All she could do was try to sleep it off, drink the broth Claire made for her, and hope it didn’t get much worse.   
While she was sick, Ian waited on her hand and foot. He always made sure that her water and broth were refilled, and that she was comfortable in her bed. If she needed anything, such as a new handkerchief, a clean spoon, anything and everything, he would jump up to get it for her so she would not have to move. She would tell him again and again that he did not have to do this, she was capable of walking 10 feet to pour a glass of water.  
“I ken ye are,” he always responded, but then would go right back to serving her. She ended up just letting it happen without arguing since she knew he would continue no matter what she said.   
Before she got sick, Skylar had noticed that he seemed more tired than usual; and it was not getting any better . The shadows under his eyes were darkening and his energy wasn’t as its usual level 9 or 10. She could tell he was trying to hide it from her, which only worried her more.   
Whenever she would ask him about it, he would say, “It’s yer rest that I’m more concerned about. Dinna mind me.” That answer never satisfied her, but she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. It could just be her constant concern about him that was making her paranoid and he might just be having trouble sleeping; a normal problem for someone to have sometimes.   
She woke up one night 5 days into her cold with her throat on fire. She had to go outside to refill the water pitcher, and when she did, she saw Ian sitting on the ground at was the dying embers of the fire.   
She walked to him and asked, her voice a little rough, “Are you alright, Youngin’?”   
He turned to look at her. “Why are ye out of bed? Ye need te sleep.”  
“As do you, yet here you are.” She sat next to him.  
“I’m fine, Yank. I promise. I just couldna sleep.”  
“And how many nights have you not been able to sleep for?” He just looked at the small orange dots still flickering on the logs. “Ian?”  
“Near a week,” he answered in a whisper.   
“A week? You haven’t slept in a week?”  
“It’s no that I havena slept at all. Fer many’a those days, I kept wakin’ up, and I would eventually fall back asleep but it wouldna be easy. Then the last couple I’ve been too scared te try.”  
“Why are you scared to sleep?” He didn’t answer her. She moved closer to him and took his hand. “Ian, you know you can tell me anything. We had this same conversation when you didn’t want to tell me about Geillis. I meant it then and I mean it now. I love you more than life itself and nothing will ever change that.” He shut his eyes tight when she mentioned Geillis and he squeezed her hand, both of which she noticed. “Does this have to do with her? Are you having nightmares again?”  
He opened his eyes, but didn’t look at her. “I dinna ken why they’ve come back. I thought it was all behind me.”  
“Ian, why didn’t you tell me you were having the nightmares?”  
“Because they’re the last thing ye should be worryin’ about. I dinna need ye to be concerned fer me while yer so sick. Ye should only be focusin’ on tryin’ te get healthy. Besides, they shouldna be affectin’ me like this anymore. It happened so long ago, I should be over all of this.” His voice sounded frustrated and angry, both emotions directed at himself for, again, thinking this was somehow his fault.   
She gently put her hand on his face and turned him to face her. “You are the most important thing to me always. Whether I’m sick or healthy, whether you’re happy, sad, angry, calm, whatever. I don’t give a shit if I’m coughing my lungs out. I care so much more that you’re okay, and I want to know when you’re not.” She cupped his cheek and stroked him with her thumb. “And it wasn’t so long ago. It’s still very fresh. What you went through was severely traumatic and it is very okay and normal that you’re not “over it.” Honestly, I’d be more worried if you were. It’s going to take a very long time to move past what happened.” She took her hand off his face and placed it on top of his hand that she was already holding. She took a breath and admitted, “I still have nightmares about Stephen Bonnet sometimes.”  
“Ye do?” He sat up straighter and though it was dark, the worry for her, and some residual guilt, was clear on his face.  
She nodded. “I talk to Claire about them because I know if you or Dad knew, your guilt would come right back full force. But whenever I wake up from one and I’m shaking and scared, I remember what my mom would always tell me when I came to her after a nightmare. She would hold me as tight as she could, and stroke my hair and say, ‘Wherever you thought you were, we’re both still here.’ And she would repeat that over and over until I had calmed down.”  
“And that still works?”  
“It does. When I would wake up from one next to you, I would watch you sleep and think it silently and I would feel so much better. Maybe you can try it if you have another one. It could help you too.”  
“How can I when yer not in bed wi’ me anymore?”  
“You can always find Rollo. He’s never more than an inch away from you.” That made Ian smile and laugh, which made Skylar smile. Without thinking, she leaned in and kissed him. After a couple seconds, she pulled back and said, “Omigod, I’m still so sick. I should not have done that. I’m so sorry.”  
“If I end up gettin’ a wee cold from kissin’ ye, it’ll be more than worth it.” He closed the space between them and continued where she stopped.   
They didn’t intensely makeout like they usually would when they were alone. They were sweet and soft, using the kiss to let the other know how much they loved and supported and cared for them.   
When they broke apart, they kept their foreheads lightly pressed together. Skylar touched his face again and said, “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am here for you with whatever you need, whenever you need it. I will do anything I can to help you through this, no matter how long it takes.”  
“It might help me sleep tenight if yer lyin’ next te me.”  
Skylar laughed. “Yeah, and then you’ll sleep forever when Dad finds us alone in bed in the morning and kills you. But I’ll stay out here with you until you’re ready to try to sleep.” She wanted to bring him inside and have him sleep in her bed with her, but the bed Jamie made for her was way too small for them to share (which she figured he did on purpose) and she didn’t want to risk getting him sick with them being pressed together all night. So she just had him lay his head on her lap and repeated every so often while she stroked his hair, “Wherever you thought you were, we’re both still here.”


	40. Sick of the Body and Mind

_I’m so done with this!_ Skylar thought when she woke up on the seventh day of being sick. Though she had woken up more from a nap rather than a night’s sleep.   
Being unable to breathe through her nose at all kept her awake for hours, and then when she did fall asleep, she was woken up soon after by a horrible and painful coughing fit. This also woke up Jamie and Claire who rushed out of bed to her to try to help.   
After 45 minutes of off and on coughing, her lungs had also had enough. She convinced Jamie and Claire that she was fine and they could go back to bed. But her burning throat didn’t let her get comfortable enough to sleep until she heard birds start singing and the light had begun coming in through the windows.   
She felt so guilty for waking them up that she apologized to her adoptive parents profusely multiple times throughout the next morning. She especially felt bad because they had to wake up early anyways because this was the morning Jamie and Ian were headed for Woolam’s Creek to find people to settle on their land. But Jamie kept telling her she didn’t have to apologize for anything. It was a father’s job to take care of his daughter, and he would do anything he had to to make sure she was healthy, happy and safe; including lose a bit of sleep to ease her cough.   
That was also the day that Skylar and Claire were going to stay with the Muellers to help Petronella with the rest of her pregnancy.   
While Claire was inside with Jamie getting last minutes items packed for both pairs, Skylar and Ian were bringing all of the bags for him and Jamie outside and situated.   
“I wish ye were comin’ with us,” Ian said to her as he put the last of the bags into the wagon. “As I recall, ye have a talent fer convincin’ men te do yer biddin’.”  
“That is a talent I have left in Edinburgh. Except when I need to use it on you.”  
“Ye ken well it takes little convincin’ fer me te follow yer every command.” He went in to kiss her but she pulled back.  
“My cold is just getting worse. I can’t breathe through my nose at all and my throat is killing me. So no, I will not kiss you and risk you getting this.”  
“I dinna mind a wee cold if it means I can kiss ye.” He tried again, but she stepped back and put her arm out to distance her from him.   
“No no no no. Here.” She held out her hand for him to kiss instead. With a smile, he took her hand and kissed it as sweetly as though it was her lips.   
“I’ll never wash this hand again,” she joked when he let ger go and held her hand to her chest. Her focus then got pulled to the animal pen behind him. “Hey, what’s she got?” she asked, meaning their pig. Over their time at the Ridge, they had acquired other animals like pigs and goats from people traveling through and selling them, or sometimes trading with the Cherokee for them. One animal they recently got was a giant white sow who was extremely mischievous and appeared to like causing them chaos.   
Skylar walked to the fence with Ian behind her and looked in. “She has Dad’s hat!” Sure enough, the sow was gnawing on Jamie’s tricorn hat that he was likely frantically looking for.   
“I’ll get it,” Ian spoke as he climbed into the pen.  
“Be careful,” Skylar warned, resorting to wipe her ever running nose on her scarf.   
It took a good five minutes for Ian to wrestle Jamie’s hat from the pig. She was protecting it as if it was one of her babies, snapping at Ian to keep away.   
Skylar needed to help, so she went to the other side of the pen and called to her, “Hey, Miss Piggy! Miss Piggy over here! Come here! Come get food!” She picked up the bucket of scraps they had next to the pen and dumped some of it in her trough. The sow came running to eat, allowing Ian to grab the hat and jump out.  
Skylar met him back at the other side and said, “Let’s get this to Dad before she tries to start round 2.” Ian nodded and they went into the cabin.  
When they walked in, Ian saw Jamie and told him, “The sow had yer hat, Uncle Jamie.”   
Jamie muttered, “Christ,” under his breath as Ian crossed the room to hand it to him.  
“I nearly lost a finger tryin’ te save it,” Ian recounted. He then spotted something behind his uncle and went to it while Skylar just sat at the table as she felt a bit lightheaded.  
“If I do return before ye, Sassenach,” Jamie said to Claire, “I might just eat that vicious beast.”  
“You know she can hear you, right? She knows all and she’ll be plotting her revenge for you saying that,” Skylar joked.   
Claire chuckled then exclaimed, “Hey!” She went to Ian who was eating some of the bacon that had caught his attention before. She rewrapped it and put it in one of the bags for the men.  
Ian rolled his eyes. “Come on. The sooner we go, the sooner we’ll be home. And I love bacon.”  
Skylar opened her mouth to tease him about loving bacon more than her, but she just started coughing instead. When she was done, she laid her head on the table and groaned. She felt Ian rub soothing circles on her back to try to help her feel better.  
Claire got eye level with her and said, “Skylar, can you look at me?” Feeling like her head weighed 100 pounds, Skylar slowly lifted up so Claire could see her face. The doctor felt her cheeks and forehead while the patient tried to desperately to breathe through her nose so she wouldn’t blow sick air on Claire, but with no luck. “Christ, you’re burning up,” Claire stated. “Your eyes are also a bit bloodshot.”  
“It’s just because I’m tired. I was up all night coughing if you remember.” Claire stood back up and went to get her some water after seeing Skylar rub her sore throat.   
Jamie glanced from Skylar to Ian. “Maybe we should wait a few days before goin’ inte town.” Ian nodded in agreement.   
“No!” Skylar cried, which led to another coughing fit. Claire came back and handed her the cup. She drank small sips, each one feeling like fire down her throat, then looked back at Jamie. “This is too important. You have to go.” She wiped her watering eyes.   
“Ye are more important,” Jamie said to his daughter as he knelt next to her. “I canna leave ye when yer feelin’ this bad.”  
“Dad, I promise, I’ll be fine. It’s just a bad cold.”  
“Then I’ll stay at least. Uncle Jamie doesna need me,” Ian spoke up.  
“Yes he does,” Skylar argued.  
“I’m no leavin’ ye alone when yer sick.”  
“I can handle myself. Besides, I’ll be with Claire the whole time and I’m sure the Muellers have water or tea if I need it.”   
“Skylar, you are not going to the Muellers,” Claire informed her. She whipped her head around to the older woman.  
“What?! No, I’m fine! Please. I want to help.”  
“I’m sorry, but you’re too sick. If you went, you could get worse or you might pass it to them. You’re not going. End of discussion.” Skylar just sunk down in her seat. “Don’t worry. I promise that there will be plenty of babies in the future that you will be able to help birth.”  
Skylar crossed her arms. She knew Claire was right. She didn’t want to risk any of the Muellers getting sick from her. But it was still supremely annoying.   
With another push from Claire and Skylar, Jamie and Ian left, promising to be back as soon as they could.   
The two women had gone outside to see their men off, and when they were gone, Claire immediately turned to the sick girl and ordered, “You need into get into bed right now.”  
“But I-”  
“No, there is no arguing. You need to rest if you want to start getting better. Now, inside at once. So says the doctor.”  
 _I guess this is what comes with having a doctor as a mom. How did Brianna deal with this?_ Skylar thought as she did what she was told.   
When she got back inside, she took off her blouse and skirt so that she was just in her shift and climbed into bed. She sighed in some slight relief as her head sunk into the pillow. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the softness of the mattress instead of her burning skin and inability to breathe.  
Claire brought in the two of their buckets of cold water and refilled the pitcher, which she brought along with a full cup to place on the small table next to Skylar’s bed.   
“Keep drinking water,” she instructed. “It’ll help keep your body cool and hopefully bring your fever down. And there’s plenty of broth left, so eat as much of it as you can stomach.” She placed a small plate on the table as well. “This is ginger root. It’ll ease the inflammation in your throat. Eat a couple slices two or three times a day.” Skylar just nodded silently, sniffing and trying to breathe deeply through her mouth. Claire squatted next to her and stroked her hair, “Oh, you poor thing. This really is a nasty one.”  
Keeping her eyes closed, she said back, “I can’t believe I made it this long in this time without getting sick. I was hoping my 21st Century immune system was evolved and strong enough to make me, you know, immune to 18th Century germs.”  
Claire gave her a kind smile. “Unfortunately, no matter what time you’re in or from, the common cold finds a way to strike.” Skylar let out a single dry laugh. Standing up, Claire continued, “Alright, I shouldn’t be gone too long. I’ll be back in a few hours.”  
Skylar opened her eyes. “We were supposed to be staying until she has the baby though.”  
“I am not leaving you alone for who knows how many days when you are this sick. This may not even be a cold. You could have a kind of flu. You need someone to help get you well.”  
“Claire,” Skylar pushed herself to sit up and leaned against the wall behind her, “you need to be there to help Petronella. She and her family need you more than I do right now. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself for a few days. God knows I did it plenty of times alone back in the 2000s and I’m still alive.”  
“Skylar-”  
“No, there is no arguing. So says the patient.” Claire gave a half smile in amusement at having her own words used against her, but still seemed very unsure. “Claire, I promise, I’ll be fine. It’s not gonna be long. And who knows? She’s so close that she might have the baby tonight or tomorrow, and then you’ll be able to come right back.”  
Claire still was not in favor of leaving her overnight, and that was clear on her face. But against her better judgement, she gave in. “Fine. But keep Rollo here with you.”  
Hearing his name, his head perked up from where he was laying by the door.   
Skylar smiled. “I’m more than fine with that.”  
“Come on, Rollo. Keep watch over her.” Claire patted the bed to tell him to come and he leapt to his feet. He jumped onto the bed and curled up at the end of it, resting his head on Skylar’s legs.   
“See? I’m in good hands. Or paws, I guess.”  
“If she hasn’t gone into labor by tomorrow night, I’ll be back to just check in on you. Are you sure you’ll be alright?”  
“I promise. Now go and deliver a baby.”  
Claire put on her jacket and gathered her couple bags. Before she left, she gave the instruction, “Do not leave the cabin. Stay inside at all times no matter what, understand?”  
“Crystal clear.”  
“Alright. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I love you.”  
“I love you too.”  
The moment Claire closed the door behind her, Skylar closed her eyes again and let out a long pained breath. She held her head which had started throbbing an hour ago and was only getting more painful. She hadn’t said anything about it because everyone was already so concerned about her that if she seemed any worse, all three of them would’ve dropped everything important they needed to do to focus on taking care of her, and that would have done nothing but make her feel guilty and like a bother.   
She gulped down the glass of water and chewed on a couple of the ginger slices to try to ease her sore throat and head. Though not a lot, it worked enough allow her to fall asleep.  
She practically fell into a coma and slept all the rest of that day, through the night and into the next morning. What woke her up was another bad coughing spell. Each cough just tightened the metal clamp around her head little by little until she was sure her head was about to split open from the pain. She was also drenched in sweat. The blankets and her shift were stuck to her like a second skin. She kicked the blankets off as fast as she could but her body still felt like it was on fire. She pushed herself onto her elbow and shakily grasped her cup to drink some more. But the water didn’t do anything.   
Using every ounce of strength she had, she slowly got to standing and made her way to the door. When she opened it, she felt the cold early morning air sweep over her and it provided some relief from her own internal sauna that she couldn’t get out of.   
She closed her eyes and tried to breathe, but she still could only breathe through her mouth; and when she took a large breath in, it just triggered her coughing and forced her to close the door.  
She leaned against the wood for a minute before deciding to move again. She wanted to get some broth to see if she had any appetite, so she started for the fireplace where the pot sat.   
As she crossed the room, she happened to glance in the mirror and what she saw made her stop. She went closer to it and saw small red dots going from her hairline down into her forehead. She noticed dots on the sides of her neck as well. She pulled her hair to the side and could see it went from behind her ears all the way down her neck.  
“What the fuck is happening?” she thought out loud.  
Trying to stay calm, she continued to the broth. But as she put some into a bowl, the coughing started again, causing her to drop the clay bowl and it shattered.  
Rollo, who had been silently watching her from the bed, barked at the sudden loud noise.   
Skylar didn’t acknowledge him. She just gripped the back of one of the chairs at the table and leaned her head on her hands, trying to catch her breath. Everything hurt and everything was burning, from the top of her head to the soles of her feet.   
_What is wrong with me?_ she kept thinking.   
She wracked her brain, trying to remember anything that she learned in health class that could tell her what disease she had. But her mind was so foggy she couldn’t think straight.   
She felt something nudge against her and she knew it was Rollo when she heard him whine. She looked at him and saw him looking up at her like he knew something was wrong.   
“It’s alright, Rollo. I’m okay. I’m going to be okay,” she told the dog, though also trying to reassure herself.   
She stroked his head and he leaned into her hand, wanting to comfort his sad human.   
To no one, she said, “I should…I should try to sleep more. I need to rest.”  
One step at a time, she made the journey back to her bed. Rollo was right next to her the whole way, like he was ready to catch her if she fell.  
Her not even ten minute trip around the cabin exhausted her to the point where she was asleep before her head hit the pillow.   
The coughing woke her up again. It was dark now, so she knew it was night, but she had no idea what time it was.   
When her lungs decided they had enough for this moment, she reached for the water pitcher to refill her glass. There was enough light coming from the moon shining into the window next to her so that when she stretched out her arm, she could see that the dots on her neck and forehead had spread all down her arms and hands.   
“Omigod, what the fuck?!” she exclaimed with barely any voice. The dots had appeared on her chest too.   
She suddenly couldn’t breathe and began to hyperventilate. She was so lightheaded that she felt she was no longer in her body and the room was spinning.   
She was so scared and panicked that she couldn’t get her mind to focus on anything that she could feel, touch or see to ground her. Her heart was racing so fast that she was seriously worried she was about to have a heart attack. She needed to calm down.   
“Ro-Rollo. Rollo, c-c-come. C’mere,” she called to the dog. He instantly came to lay next to her with his paws on her stomach. He kept whining and licking her. Though he didn’t know how, he could sense she wasn’t okay and he wanted to fix her.   
Skylar held onto his fur and ran her fingers through it, trying to focus on the feeling of the fur and his weight on her.   
Finally, after an excruciating number of minutes, she was able to get her breathing under control. But she didn’t relax. She had no idea what was wrong with her and it was terrifying. She didn’t sleep anymore that night. She just held onto Rollo and waited for when Claire would get home. Thankfully, that wasn’t too long.  
The sun was just rising when Claire walked in. She tried to be as silent as possible, thinking that Skylar was asleep. So she was a little surprised when she heard the teen weakly call out, “Claire?”  
She responded, whispering, “Why are you awake? You need to sleep.”  
“Something’s wrong. It’s not a cold.”  
Skylar heard Claire drop her bag and hurry to her. She quietly gasped when she saw Skylar’s face.  
“Omigod,” was all she said. She checked her arms, chest and legs as well. Rollo could sense he was in Claire’s way so he jumped off the bed, but stayed close. “Can you sit up and open your mouth?” Claire requested. With assistance, Skylar did what was asked. Claire got closer so she could look inside her mouth and when she did, she saw the small white dots she was so hoping she would not. “Christ. Damnit.” She helped Skylar lay back down.   
“What is it? What do I have?” she asked, trying to take in deep breaths without coughing.  
Claire took a beat before answering, “You have the measles.”  
“Measles?” Skylar was too exhausted to have another full panic attack, but she could feel her heart pick up again. Her breathing got very shaky and her stomach went into her throat.   
Claire stood up and took the water pitcher to refill it. She also filled a large bowl with water and brought both back to Skylar with some washcloths.   
“We need to get your fever down. You’re very hot,” Claire stated. She helped Skylar sit up again, then poured some water into her glass and handed it to her. “Drink, but go slow. We should also put you in a clean shift.”  
Skylar took small sips as Claire went to her own bed to get one of her underdresses. She barely noticed Claire standing her up to change shifts or the poorly hidden look of serious worry the older woman had when she saw the red dots on the rest of her daughter’s body. When she was laid back down, Skylar felt the coolness of the wet washcloths on her face and chest, but she didn’t react to them. All of her was too busy trying to wrap her head around her diagnosis. A thousand questions were racing through her mind, each one adding to her already horrendous migraine.   
_How? How did this happen? Where did I get it? How does it get treated? Am I going to die?_  
“Skylar, you need to calm down,” Claire told her. “You’re going to hyperventilate. Squeeze my hand and just focus on me.” She did. She didn’t realize her breathing had gotten so fast.   
When Skylar began to settle, Claire spoke gently to her. “You’re going to be alright. I promise, I will do everything I can to get you past this. Measles is very common in this time and most people come out the other side with no problem.”  
“If 99 out of 100 people survive, there still has to be that 1 that doesn’t. What if I’m that 1?”  
“Don’t talk like that. Over my dead body will I allow you to not recover. You are going to get healthy and then this will all seem like a bad dream.” Skylar’s face betrayed that she was very scared. Claire stroked her hair comfortingly and blotted the washcloth from her forehead on her cheeks and neck. “If God has any funny ideas about taking you away from us, He’ll have to go through me, Jamie and Ian. And Ian would likely shoot and kill God Himself before letting anything happen to you.”  
Skylar laughed at that but was cut off by another short attack of coughing. When this one was done, she closed her eyes and took slow breaths in and out.   
Claire helped her sit up enough so she could drink some more water to try to soothe her aching and coarse throat. But any relief the water provided was short lived.  
Claire rewet the cloths and placed them back on the poor girl’s skin.  
“How did I not see the signs?” she questioned herself. “I’m a 20th Century surgeon for Christ’s sake. I should be able to catch the early signals a mile away. God, I never should have left you.”  
Skylar replied, in between heavy breaths, “It just seemed like a cold. There was no reason to think it was anything else.” Claire didn’t say anything. “Please don’t feel guilty. Me getting sick is not your fault. And it was going to get to this point even if we knew earlier. The only thing that makes me nervous is…how contagious am I?”  
“You were likely most contagious four days before your rash started.”  
“Could I have passed it to anyone?”  
“You haven’t been around the Muellers since before you were sick, so you couldn’t have given it to any of them. I can’t get it because I’ve been vaccinated, and Jamie’s immune because he had it when he was younger.”  
“What about Ian?”  
Claire hesitated. “I’m not sure. I don’t know if he’s had it.”  
“If I made him sick, I will never forgive myself. He’s been doing everything for me and hasn’t left my side once this whole time. I’ve also kissed him in the last four days. If anything happens to him, I can’t- I-I can’t…I wouldn’t – he’d…”   
Her breathing rapidly picked up again and Claire took her hand. “Skylar, you cannot overexert yourself. You need to stay calm and rest your body. Ian wasn’t showing any symptoms before he and Jamie left, so it’s extremely unlikely that he got it. And I’m positive that if he started to seem sick, Jamie would bring him back immediately.”  
Skylar just nodded, choosing to believe Claire’s words that Ian was okay.   
Claire decided that she was going to make Skylar a clove tea to try to open her sinuses and get her breathing through her nose. While she was making it, she asked, “Do you not still have the measles vaccine in your time?”  
“No, we do. You’re supposed to get it when you’re an infant, and then again when you’re around 4 years old.”  
“It’s unbelievably rare for someone to still be able to contract the disease once they’ve been properly inoculated.”  
“I didn’t get it done properly though. That’s why I’m able to get it probably.”  
“What do you mean?” Claire came back and placed the tea on the side table so she could help Skylar sit up yet again. “Slowly, now, slowly. There we go.” She grabbed the pillows from her and Jamie’s bed for Skylar to lean back against. She then handed her the tea and brought over a chair to sit in next to the bed.   
Skylar took a sip of the drink and had to force herself not to spit it out. It didn’t taste good and it burned going down. But if Claire said it would help, she would deal with it.  
She then explained her story, “I got the first shot when I was a baby like normal. I was all set to get the second when I was four, but then my dad left and that destroyed my mom. She was such a mess that my measles vaccine got put to the side. The divorce took like three years to finalize and it was so horrible that when it was finally done, no one remembered anything about me needing a shot. It really never came up again and I hate needles so I wasn’t going to ask about it. When my schools would check about my vaccinations, they would see that I had one done and that was good enough for them. No one ever asked questions. So, yeah. Long story short, I wasn’t properly vaccinated and no one thought it was a big deal because no one ever imagined I would be living in 1768 where measles is as common as the flu.”  
She took another sip of the tea. Speaking that much made her lose her breath and she felt terribly dizzy.   
“No one bothered to check to make sure you had both?” Skylar shook her head. “That’s ridiculous. It’s a young girl’s health in question.”  
“Yeah. Adults, and just people in general, really suck in the 2000s.”  
“They weren’t much better when I was your age, I assure you.”  
Skylar gave a half smile but it quickly vanished. She closed her eyes and held her head as she let out a low groan.  
“Does your head hurt?” Claire questioned.  
“My whole body hurts. God, what I wouldn’t give for some ibuprofen.”  
“Well, we’re a bit short on that at the moment. But I can make you a different tea with willow bark. It acts as a sort of aspirin in this century.”  
“Is it at delicious as this one?” Skylar asked sarcastically.  
Claire chuckled. “The stronger it is, the better it will work. I can put a little honey in it if you’d like.”  
“Yes please.”  
Claire stood up and went to grab a small jar of honey from the cabinet.   
As she crossed back, she commented, “This is our second to last jar. You and Jamie will have to go find another hive soon.”  
During the Fall, Jamie had taken Skylar to hunt bees; meaning they would go out into the woods to hind a hive of honeybees and once they found one, Jamie would put the bees to sleep with some smoke so they could bring it back to the Ridge. They would then release the bees and harvest honey and honeycomb from the hive.   
Skylar had loved going hunting with him. It was a full day from before sunup to just after sundown of just the two of them. She immensely enjoyed every minute of quality time she was able to spend with her dad and always looked forward to when she would again. She had been over the moon when Jamie talked about “the next time we go,” like her coming with him was so obvious and definite.   
Skylar smiled as Claire scooped a spoonful of the sticky gold into her cup.   
“Dad said when the weather gets warm again we’ll go back out.”  
“And if you want to be healthy enough to do that, we have to kick this disease in its ass. So drink up and get some rest.”  
The honey helped slightly. It made the tea more palatable and Skylar was able to get down a few more gulps before her head was feeling too heavy to keep upright.   
She wasn’t able to get more than 30 minutes of sleep at a time. Her full body fever, full body aches and continuous difficulty breathing made it impossible for her to relax or get comfortable in the least.   
During one of the periods in between her naps, she asked Claire why she had come home so early. Claire told her that Petronella ended up going into labor very soon after she arrived and the delivery had been relatively quick and easy. She felt okay with leaving the family the morning after and would go back to check on the mother and baby in a couple weeks.   
“There was a bit of an issue with some Cherokee though,” Claire added. “Gerhard wasn’t very happy with them stopping on his land to use “his” water for their horses. He and Tommy even pulled their rifles on them.”  
“Omigod. Was anyone hurt?”  
“No, thankfully. They recognized me and left peacefully. But Gerhard was convinced that they cursed him and his family, which is insanely absurd.”  
“And the racist bullshit never gets any better.”  
Over the next three days, Skylar was still bedridden. Between the willow bark tea and Claire using acupressure, her migraine was becoming more manageable. But her fever was still very high and her cough was persistent.   
She also felt so bad because on top of taking care of her, Claire had to manage the upkeep of the Ridge on her own. So Skylar tried not to complain about how in pain she was. She didn’t want Claire to think she was at all ungrateful for all she was doing, or annoy her and add to her stress with whining.   
But one afternoon when Claire had gone outside to tend to the animals, Skylar let herself quietly cry.   
After only a few minutes though, she heard Claire catch her. “Skylar? What’s wrong? Is it your head? Are you too hot?” She wet another washcloth and dabbed it on Skylar’s face and neck.  
Skylar sniffed hard to try to stop her ever running nose, made worse by her crying.  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you come in. I didn’t want…you weren’t-I didn’t want you to see me cry.”  
“Why?”  
“You’re doing so much to get me better plus house and land work, and I didn’t want to seem ungrateful by complaining about how fucking miserable the measles are.”  
“You voicing the pain you’re in is not being ungrateful. Measles is an awful disease and you’re taking it like a soldier. You’re doing everything you can to beat it with no resources that I’m sure you’re used to back in your time and that is damn difficult. You’re allowed to cry and complain about just how difficult it is. I wish so much I could fight it for you. I’d do anything to transfer it from you to me.”  
“I’m glad you can’t.” She started to cough again, making the pain in her head and chest flare up. More tears overflowed from her already watery eyes.   
Claire delicately wiped them away with the washcloth.  
“My sweet girl, what can I do for you? Is there something I can get you? Another pillow? Some more willow bark?”  
“Ian. I want Ian. I miss him. Dad too.”  
“I know, darling. They should be back in just a couple days, and then, I guarantee, Ian won’t let you out of his sight ever again.”  
Skylar laughed lightly but it just dissolved into some lingering coughs.   
They were interrupted by a knock at the door.  
“I’ll be right back,” Claire told her, and went to the door. Skylar closed her eyes and focused on taking steady breaths.   
She heard Claire greet the guest with, when she opened the door, “Pastor Gottfried. What are you doing here?”  
Pastor Gottfried was a man who had chosen to settle on the Fraser’s 10,000 acres before they had officially started recruiting settlers. He was a very kind man who had become a friend to them.   
“Frau Mueller sent me,” he told her.  
“Is everything alright?”  
There was a long silence before he answered, “Tommy, Petronella and the baby…died.”  
“What?” Her soft but sharp tone of voice on that one word conveyed how shocked she was by the news.   
“I gave them last rites this morning.”  
“How?”  
“The measle.”  
Skylar heard Claire pause when he said that, but she didn’t see her look back at her.   
“Let’s continue outside,” she told the man. She went out onto the porch, closing the door almost all the way behind her.   
Skylar couldn’t hear them, but she wasn’t trying to. She heard that three people had died from the measles and that made the panic set in again. Her entire body was shaking and she was so dizzy and lightheaded she thought she was going to black out. It felt like her lungs weren’t working and she was struggling to take in a breath.  
She heard Rollo start barking next to her bed and was pawing at and licking her hand.   
Suddenly, Claire was back with her and helping her to sit up.  
“Skylar, look at me. Look at me!” she ordered, firmly. She moved Skylar’s head up to face her and didn’t let go. “Do you know where you are right now? Where are you?”   
It took a long time for Skylar to get into enough of a headspace to stutter out, “Fra-Fr…Fraser-Fraser’s Ridge.”  
“And what are three things that are on Fraser’s Ridge?”  
After another ten seconds, she said, “Horses…cab-” She stopped. This panic attack was one of the strongest and hardest to come out of.   
“Keep going,” Claire pressed.  
She finally was able to get out, “Cab…in. Cabin.”  
“Good. One more.”  
“G-gard…garden. Your…garden.”  
“Who lives here on the Ridge?”  
She could at last feel her heart start to slow and her breathing even out as she listed, “Me…you…Dad…Ian…Rollo.” She looked at said dog and put a hand on his head to pet him.   
When Claire could tell she was breathing more regular and was not at risk of passing out, she let go of Skylar’s face. But the girl’s overall look still worried her. She had lost all the color in her face minus the slight red in her cheeks from the fever and her eyes were as large as dinner plates from fear. She was still visibly shaking and breathing, though steady, very hard.   
“They died,” Skylar stated. “All three of them. They all died from the measles.”  
“They were different. Petronella and the baby, their bodies were so weak from the birth that the virus was much stronger and moved far quicker with them. And Tommy, they all live in very close quarters, so it likely worked through his body the same.” She took Skylar’s hand and held it tight. “You are going to be fine. You are not going to die. Remember what you said before about 18th Century germs being no match for your 21st Century immune system? It’s sure as hell not going to let this virus win, especially when it already has some protection from it from the first vaccine. You will come back from this and that is a promise I would risk my life on.” Skylar’s wide eyes stayed locked on Claire as she spoke. She nodded, wanting to believe the words coming from the doctor even if she was still petrified. “You should lay back down and try to rest more.”  
Skylar nodded again and allowed Claire to help bring her head back to the pillow.   
When she was fully horizontal again, Claire went to stand up but Skylar gripped her hand tighter.   
“Please don’t leave.”   
Claire sat back down. “I’m not going anywhere.”  
When Claire started to brush the top of her hair with her fingers, it coaxed Skylar to finally relax. And as the adrenaline drained, exhaustion overtook her and she couldn’t keep her eyes open.   
She was woken up in the middle of the night by Rollo barking. She opened her eyes and groggily turned to the sound. She saw Claire standing at the window, staring out of it and death-gripping her rifle. She was at full alert, like she was expecting to see something.   
After a moment, her face de-tensed and she turned to Rollo. “It’s just the wind,” she said to him.   
“Are you looking for someone?” Skylar mumbled, still half asleep.   
“I’m so sorry, Sky. I didn’t mean to wake you up. Go back to sleep.”  
“Why do you have the rifle?”  
Before Claire could answer, a bluster of wind howled through and a cold breeze slipped in through gaps in the walls and windows, making Skylar shiver.  
“Are you cold?” Claire asked. She grabbed the blanket off her and Jamie’s bed to bring to her.   
Skylar pulled the blanket already on her up to her chin as she nodded. “This is the first time in days where I feel like I’m not sweating bullets.”  
Claire laid the other blanket over her and felt her face and forehead. “Your fever’s beginning to come down. Thank God.”  
Skylar sniffed hard to stop her runny nose and she actually got some oxygen in through it.  
“My nose is clearing,” she announced happily.   
Claire smiled and put her hand on the girl’s cheek, brushing it with her thumb. “You’re past the worst of it, darling. I knew you were far too strong to let some silly little virus overtake you.”  
Skylar gave a sleepy smile back, then let her eyes close again.   
During all of the next day, Skylar could feel herself slowly moving past the peak of her sickness and onto recovery. She could now sit up comfortably on her own and her head and body aches had gone down tremendously. She could breathe a bit through her nose and her internal fire had at long last been extinguished. She also had the slightest bit more of an appetite, so Claire gave her a bowl of broth to eat, but told her to still go slow; she didn’t want to push anything.   
“Your rash is even starting to fade,” Claire commented that night. She had taken Skylar’s soup bowl after she had finished with it to bring it to the counter. And she was right. The red dots were still clear to see, but not so vibrant anymore.  
“I never want to get sick in this time again. How did all of humanity not just die out before modern medicine and vaccines?”  
Claire laughed. “Speaking as a healer, I truly have no idea.”  
Their moment of peace was interrupted by loud banging at the door which made both women jump and set Rollo off barking.   
“Klara!” the voice came from outside. “Frau Klara! I just want to talk!”  
“Is that Herr Mueller?” Skylar asked.   
Claire put the bowl on the table and picked up her rifle. “Skylar, be asleep.” She pointed it at the door where Rollo was growling.  
“What is going on?”  
“Do as I say, Skylar. Lie down.”  
Too nervous to question why, she obeyed.  
“Rollo, get back!” Claire ordered the dog. He did as he was told and went by Skylar’s bed to guard her. She was on her side with her eyes closed, trying to be as still as possible.  
Claire called out to Gerhard, “What do you want?”  
Skylar didn’t see any of the following action take place, but she heard everything. She heard the man open the door and come inside.  
“Frau Klara, you’re alive,” he said with relief evident. “The measle, I fear I come too late and it will take you too.” He must’ve noticed Skylar in the bed because he then said, “Ach du Lieber Gott, your daughter. She is sick with it?” She heard the floor creak as he attempted to go to her, but Claire stopped him.  
“Do not go near her,” she told him threateningly.   
There was a very long silence. Skylar had to keep reminding herself to breathe because she had to look believably asleep. But the unease she felt with Gerhard in the room triggered her instinct to hold her breath.   
He finally spoke again, with so much pain and grieving in his delivery. “They are dead. My children, the baby. They got the measle and…” He faded off. Skylar heard his shoes heavily clap against the floor and a chair at their table pull out.   
“I’m so sorry,” Claire responded with genuine empathy. “I wish there was something that I could’ve done.”  
“There was no use. The curse was strong. They die very fast.”  
 _Omigod, the Cherokee,_ Skylar thought, remembering what Claire had told her about Gerhard thinking the Cherokee had cursed him.   
Claire tried to get him to understand the truth. “Herr Mueller, measles is a disease. It spreads from person to person.”  
“Ja, it happened to me and my wife in Gunzburg. We were sick for a week.”  
“It’s likely it traveled with you from Cross Creek-”  
“No!” he argued over her.  
“Through no fault of your own. Skylar probably caught it from you as well.”  
“Nell and the baby die very quickly. Too quickly!”  
She told him the same thing she told Skylar. “But their bodies were weak after the birth. They would’ve never survived the fever.”  
But he refused to believe it. “This is not what happened. They die because of the curse. The savages hate us and want our land. It is them! They are supposed to die of the pox, not us! Not the one who believe in God.”  
 _What kind of white supremacist bullshit is this?_ Skylar reacted angrily in her head. She wanted so bad to slap him and cuss him out. But she just bit her lip and clenched her fists under her blankets instead.  
He scoffed. “No matter. It is over now. I take care of them for us and for you.”   
_What the hell does that mean?_  
She heard rummaging of cloth and guessed he had taken something out of his pocket when Claire said, “Baby Klara’s doll. Thank you.”  
It was quiet as Claire opened whatever it was Gerhard had handed to her. But from the sound of shock and disgust she made, Skylar could figure it wasn’t a doll he gave her.   
“Adawehi,” Claire’s voice shook as she said.   
That made Skylar actually stop breathing. _What the fuck did he do?_  
Adawehi was the healer of the Cherokee tribe they had made friends with, and Claire had been particularly close to her. She was a wise, kind and gentle woman who would never do bad to anyone; and Skylar was sure Herr Mueller had killed her in revenge.   
“She was their healer,” Claire spoke in desperation and anger.  
“She was a witch, ja?” he came back. “There can be no curse without a witch!” He sounded frantic.   
“All they wanted was some water!”  
He then started screaming, “Water is everywhere! The creek, the lake, the stream. They do not come to my land for water! The savages come to show that my land is theirs!”  
With an unwavering firm and calm voice, Claire told him, “Goodbye, Herr Mueller.”  
He paused, then accepted. “Goodbye, Frau Klara.” Skylar heard his footsteps lead to the door, but stopped before he left. “I pray your child fares better than mine. May God have mercy on you and her.” Then, he walked out, closing the door shut behind him.   
Skylar’s eyes shot open and she bolted to sitting up. But even though she was better, she was still sick and so the sudden fast movement gave her a massive head rush. When she could see again, she just said, “What the hell was that? What did he do?”  
Claire didn’t answer. She stood still in her same spot and cried quietly over the cloth in her hand, which Skylar could now seed held Adawehi’s scalp.   
“Omigod,” Skylar whispered.   
Silently, Claire put the cloth from Herr Mueller on the table and went to the box that held their jerky. She emptied it and brought it back to the table as well as a clean a linen. Skylar watched intently as Claire wrapped Adawehi’s scalp in the linen and placed it in the box along with some small dried flowers, then locked it. She picked it up and laid it carefully in the fire in the fireplace to give her late friend the respect and funeral she so deserved.   
Skylar used her newfound energy to get out of bed and went to kneel beside Claire. Claire looked at her as she knelt down and Skylar saw the heartbreak and sadness in her eyes before she looked back to the fire.   
She didn’t know what words to say that would comfort her, so she just wrapped her arms around Claire and laid her head on Claire’s shoulder. Claire touched Skylar’s arm tenderly in response as she continued to cry.   
They stayed in this position, not speaking, for almost 15 minutes until Claire gently separated them.   
“Thank you, sweetheart,” she said, wiping her eyes. She sniffed then said, “I can feel the goosebumps on your skin. Let’s get you back to bed.” Somehow, they both fell asleep that night.  
Skylar didn’t hear it, but Claire woke up early the next morning when Rollo let out a small bark and growl. Fearing that Herr Mueller was back, she jumped to her feet and grabbed the rifle that she kept next to her bed that night. She followed Rollo as he casually walked to the door and was whining and scratching at it.   
Claire was trying to stay levelheaded in case it came down to having to protect herself and Skylar, but she felt ice cold with fear and anxiety over who was on the other side of the door.   
The relief she felt when she heard Jamie call out, “Sassenach!” nearly sent her to her knees.   
“Jamie,” she whispered to herself and quickly opened the door. Her heart leapt when she saw her husband walking towards her with that familiar and safe smile.   
But his smile dropped when he saw how terrified she clearly was and he ran to her. She met him on the porch and fell into him.   
On the edge of tears, she said to him, “Oh, Jamie. I’m so glad you’re home.”  
With every worst case scenario playing through his head, he brought her face back in front of his and asked very seriously, “What’s wrong?”  
“Just hold me,” she begged; and he did just that. He held her tight while she cried into his shoulder. He didn’t ask any questions, knowing that if this had something to do with Skylar, she would’ve told him right away. She would explain later.   
They were pulled apart when they heard Ian calling, “Auntie!” He had put the horses back in their space and was now wanting, more than anything, to see Skylar.   
He jogged up to the porch where Jamie and Claire were and seeing their faces made his smile disappear as well.   
“What’s wrong?” he questioned. “Is Skylar alright? Where is she?”  
“She’s inside, in bed,” Claire told him. He immediately went for the door, but Claire stopped him. “Wait, Ian. I have to ask you first, have you ever had the measles?”  
“Aye, when I was wee. Why?”  
“Because, what we thought was a cold that Skylar had, was actually the measles. It got bad while you were gone. She’s better now, but she still hasn’t ful-”  
Ian didn’t wait for her to finish that sentence. He raced into the cabin and stopped short before Skylar’s bed. She was asleep with her hair going every which way on the pillow and her blankets were pulled around her chin. He could see the red dots on her face and the one leg that stuck out from under the blankets, but he could tell they were starting to go away.   
Rollo, who had been sitting next to Skylar’s bed, bounded to Ian and jumped on him and licked him, so happy to have his other human home.   
Ian knelt down to pet him and whispered so Skylar wouldn’t wake up, “Hi, boy. Ye took good care of her, aye? I ken ye did. Yer such a good boy, yes.”  
He stood up and went to sit on the edge of her bed. He very gently stroked her hair and brushed some of it out of her face. He drew the back of his hand down her cheek, feeling each little bump.   
Skylar started to stir and she took the best breath in through her nose that she had taken in a while and let it out through her mouth. She stretched and rolled onto her back. She opened her eyes for just a moment and smiled sleepily, it not registering that Ian was there.   
But when it did, she gasped and opened her eyes wide. “Ian, you can’t be near me right now. I have the measles and I’m still contagious.”  
“I’ve already had the measles, Yank. I’ll be fine. I canna get them again.”  
“Oh, thank God. I was so scared I had given it to you already.” A realization then hit her and she groaned, turning onto her side to face away from him and pulled one of the blankets over her head. “I hate so much that you’re seeing me like this. I look so gross.”  
“Nonsense. You’re the only person in the world who can still look so beautiful while sick.” He took the blanket off her head.   
Skylar giggled and faced him again. She just looked at him for a second, then took his hand and played with his fingers. “I missed you,” she told him.  
“I missed you more.”  
She laughed. “Let’s not start that. Neither of us will win.” He smiled, and seeing him smile at her made her forget for a moment about all the pain and misery she had been in the last week, and also the events of the previous night.   
Claire and Skylar did recount all that happened to Jamie and Ian, and they were just as horrified. They made a plan to go to the Cherokee village to pay their respects once Skylar was well enough to.   
That evening, Pastor Gottfried stopped by again to inform them of the deaths of Gerhard and Rosewitha. Their cabin had been burned down and their bodies were scorched. They all knew it was the Cherokee avenging the murder of Adawehi, but none of them spoke it out loud. Pastor Gottfried led them in a prayer for the two’s souls.   
Thankfully, Jamie had bought some news, thought it only had an impact on Claire. He had found his godfather, and Claire’s very good friend from 20 years ago, Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser, working as a blacksmith in Woolam’s Creek.   
“Omigod, that’s so wonderful!” Claire exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. “Why didn’t he come back with you?”  
Jamie told her, “He has business in Woolam’s Creek that he canna leave. He’s the leader of the Regulators.”  
Skylar remembered hearing about the Regulators back at River Run, but didn’t know that much about them. Jamie explained that they were a group of men who were rioting and protesting against the government, and Governor Tryon specifically, for waging unfair taxes on farmers and commonfolk.   
“It’s those taxes, in fact, that are the reason no one took up our offer of land,” Jamie added. “We’ll have te try again another time. Maybe a different town.”   
He also said that Murtagh was hopeful he would be able to visit sometime, but it likely wouldn’t be soon.  
Skylar continued to recover from the measles over the next week. Three days after Jamie and Ian came home, her rash was 100% gone. But she still had a lingering cough and runny nose.   
Once she was rash free, Claire told her that she was able to be off bed rest and could rejoin the world. Ian still made it so that, while she was still the least bit sick, she didn’t have to lift a finger. Skylar knew him too well that arguing against it would do nothing, but she did draw the line at him wanting to take care of all her chores around the Ridge. As a compromise, she allowed him to do them with her, which she enjoyed as well.   
However, even though they were spending nearly all day and night together and were holding hands constantly, Skylar still did not let him kiss her yet. He kept reminding her that he was immune, but some small paranoid part of her brain was afraid that there was still a small possibility that he could get it if they kissed. She could tell it was driving him crazy, and her as well, but it was for her own peace of mind so she stuck to it. But when the day came that she had been 24 hours symptom free, they certainly made up for it.  
Ian had left early that morning to go fishing with John Quincy Myers and a few of the Cherokee, and when he came back, Skylar practically jumped on him and they made out hard for a solid 10 minutes. Jamie looked the other way this time and just pretended he had no idea.  
Things had returned to normal on the Ridge and their daily lives went by with no big changes or surprises. But that, of course, couldn’t have lasted for very long.  
In the middle of one afternoon, Skylar, Ian and Jamie were all inside while Claire was outside gathering firewood. The three were working on their own things in a comfortable silence. Skylar was shaping dough for a loaf of bread, Ian was sharpening a knife he had been given by one of his Cherokee friends, and Jamie was responding to a letter he had received the day before from Tryon. The silence was interrupted by Claire coming through the door, laughing.  
“Jamie, look who I found wandering by,” she said with a huge smile.   
Next to Claire was a man Skylar had never seen before. He was as tall as Jamie but his white ponytail and beard as well as a smattering of wrinkles showed his age. His face was similar to Jamie’s in that it was very kind but he was more than capable of scaring anyone in line with just a single look.  
Jamie’s entire face lit up and his demeanor became very light when he saw the man. Ian also seemed happy to see him.  
“Murtagh!” Jamie exclaimed with total joy. He stood to cross to him, and the men hugged to greet each other. Jamie brought him more into the center of the cabin saying, “I thought it would be a while still until we saw ye here.”  
“I thought I should come by and see this bit’a land yer so proud of,” Murtagh told him. “I also couldna stay away knowing that Claire was back here wi’ ye.” He smiled at her and Claire returned it brightly. Ian came up next to Jamie and Murtagh nodded at him. “It’s good te see ye again, lad.”  
“Ye as well,” Ian responded and shook his hand.   
Murtagh’s eyes then landed on Skylar who was separated from everyone else and still at the table. “And ye must be Skylar,” he said to her. When he started walking towards her, Skylar felt very nervous all of a sudden. “Jamie told me all about ye and how ye came te him. He told me that he is verra proud te be able te call ye his daughter.” He smiled softly at her and all of Skylar’s nerves vanished. She could also see in his eyes that when he said Jamie told him everything about her, that he really meant Jamie told him everything. But she still would confirm that later to make sure.   
“He told me a lot about you too,” she said back. “I’m so happy that I get to finally meet you.”  
“And I you. I now understand why the lad couldna stop talkin’ me ear off about ye.” He glanced back at Ian and Skylar laughed lightly at him blushing from Murtagh’s comment.   
“Yeah, we don’t do well with distance between us for too long.” She reached her hand out to Ian. He eagerly went to her to take it and kissed her cheek.  
Murtagh then looked at Jamie and said, “I can also already see what ye meant that ye canna let them alone out of yer sight.”  
Skylar and Ian rolled their eyes while the others laughed and agreed.   
Jamie was thrilled to find out that Murtagh was planning on staying for a while.  
“Yer more than welcome te stay as long as ye’d like,” Jamie told him. “Just give the word and we’ll set about buildin’ ye yer own cabin.”  
Whenever Skylar thought that their life had finally settled down into a normal routine and there would be no more excitement, she would turn a corner and there would be something there, be it major or minor, that would shake up the world she kept re-getting used to. But she knew that just went along with being a part of Jamie Fraser’s family and she was in it for the long ride, no matter what unexpected craziness was sure to come along again soon.


	41. The Evergrowing Frasers, Part 1

“You were just gone for a while. Do you really have to leave again?” Skylar said to Ian as he attached a small bag of food and belongings to Finley.  
It had been just over a month since he and Jamie came back from their failed attempt at recruiting settlers, and now Ian was off again, but on his own this time.  
“The Cherokee have never asked me te join them without John Quincy Myers, so the fact that they want me te come huntin’ wi’ them on me own, it’s verra excitin’.”  
“And I’m so happy for you and that you’re so excited. I know you’re going to have such a good time, but I’m just gonna miss you.” She wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and he pulled her into him by her hips.   
“I’ll be back before ye know it. But I certainly will miss ye as well. I’ll be thinkin’ of ye nonstop until I’m back with ye.” He kissed her deeply, and when he broke it, he said softly to her, “Konnorónhkwa.”  
She pulled her head back farther to look at him better. “And what language is that? I’ve never heard you use that word.”  
“It’s Mohawk fer ‘I love ye.’ Myers has started teachin’ me that one as well since I picked up Cherokee so quickly.”  
“I just perfected how to say ‘gvgeyuhi’ and you’ve already moved on to Mohawk? How am I going to keep up with you?”  
“I suppose we’ll just have to increase the number of yer language lessons,” he suggested with a flirty hint in his voice. He clasped his hands together on her lower back to bring her closer.   
Skylar grazed her lower lip with her teeth and went on her toes. She brushed their noses together and replied, keeping her lips just from touching his, “Well then, it’s a good thing I have such a handsome teacher so I won’t get bored during class. Though it will be hard to pay attention.” She kissed him first this time, keeping it sweet and slow. She then decided to try out a bit of a new language she had been learning. “Gach uair a phògas mi thu, bidh mi a tuiteam ann an goal leat a-rithist.”   
It was now Ian’s turn to be surprised. He raised his eyebrows and asked, “When did ye learn te speak Gaelic?”  
“I started when Murtagh got here. I asked him to teach me.”  
“Why Murtagh? Uncle Jamie or I could’ve started a long time ago if ye wanted te learn.”  
“I wanted to surprise you, and I didn’t think Dad would be too keen to teach me how to say such mushy things to you.”  
“How much do ye know so far?”  
“It’s taken me almost the full time he’s been teaching me to just learn to say that one phrase. Picking up languages it definitely not my strong suit, as you know.” Ian chuckled, remembering their early Cherokee lessons and how she would get very frustrated at not getting it right away and quit at least once a week. “But it’s okay. That’s all I need to know to say right now, because it’s very true that I do.” She brought his face down to hers and pressed her lips against his for a couple seconds. She pulled back just enough so she could say, “A-rithist.” She kissed him again. “Agus a-rithist.” And the last one she said still against his mouth, “Agus a-rithist.” They connected once more and didn’t stop until Jamie’s voice interrupted them.  
“Ian, isn’t it time ye were on yer way, lad?” Skylar turned to face him, pressing her back against Ian’s chest so he could hold her around her waist. Jamie had stopped in the middle of the steps when he saw them, then continued down as he said, “They’ll be waitin’ on ye, and ye dinna want te be late.” It was clear from Jamie’s poorly hidden look of paternal objection to what he walked in on that he was less concerned about Ian being on time, and more so wanted his nephew’s hands far away from his daughter’s body.  
“Aye, Uncle Jamie,” Ian answered. “I’m preparin’ te go now.”  
“I’m just seeing him off,” Skylar added.  
“Ye’ve been seein’ him off fer more than ten minutes,” Jamie stated.  
Skylar then came back with, “Well, if you left us alone, we could get on with it.”  
Even though Jamie still had a long way to go in learning how to deal with a having daughter with a boyfriend, he was beginning to understand which battles he needed to give up; and this was one of them.  
So instead of arguing, he simply looked at Ian and said, “Take care of yerself out there, lad. We want ye back in one piece.”  
“I will. Will ye tell Auntie Claire and Murtagh goodbye fer me again?” Claire had been called away earlier that morning to check on a sick child in a neighboring family, and Murtagh had escorted her there for protection.  
Jamie nodded. “I will.” He then went back up the stairs and into the cabin.   
Skylar turned to face Ian again and their hands returned to their original spots.   
“With all these goodbyes, it sounds like you’re leaving forever instead of just a few days,” she commented.  
“I could never leave ye ferver. Ye ken I canna live without ye. If that were te ever happen, I would have te take ye with me.”  
“We could run away together like Romeo and Juliet.”  
“Didn’t they both kill themselves in the end?”  
“Um…yeah, we’ll just skip that part and go right to the happily ever after.”  
“Sounds perfect.” He couldn’t resist kissing her again, but then had to force himself from her and say, “I do have te go. Uncle Jamie was right about them waitin’ fer me.”  
She sighed. “I guess the sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll come back. Have fun, but please be careful.”  
“I will.” He kissed her one more time, making it count, and then climbed onto Finley’s saddle.   
Right before he left, Skylar touched his leg and said, “Hey.” He looked down at her. “I did learn one other very important phrase from Murtagh.”  
“What’s that?”   
“Thig dhachaigh sàbhailte.”  
He smiled at her and took her hand. “I always do.”  
She gave a small smile back and squeezed his hand. She told him when she let go, “Get out of here so you can come back. I love you.”  
“Yank, ye have no idea.” He flicked Finley’s reins and he took off.   
Skylar watched until he was long gone from her sight. She took in a large breath and let it out as a loud sigh, then went about her work for the day.   
Only a couple of hours later, Claire and Murtagh came back. Skylar was in the middle of feeding the animals when she saw them ride in.   
As they brought their horses into the pen, Claire asked her, “Has Ian gone?”  
“Yep. He’s out in the great unknown facing who knows what,” she replied.  
“He’ll be fine, lass. A bit of danger and adventure is good fer a young man his age,” Murtagh commented.  
“I think he’s had plenty of dangerous adventures for one lifetime. I know I have. I’m looking forward to our next big adventure of settling down and starting a family.”  
“Just take it one day at a time, Skylar,” Claire advised. “I’m in no rush to be a grandma for a second time. I feel old enough as it is.” She gave a small smile and touched Skylar’s shoulder before going inside the cabin.  
“Oh, Murtagh,” Skylar stopped him as he went to leave too. “Thank you again for helping me learn those couple phrases in Gaelic. Ian was very surprised and he really liked it.”  
“Yer verra welcome, lass. I’m glad I could help make the both’a ye happy.”  
“I’d really like to keep going with the lessons. I want to learn more. I really like the language. If you’re okay with continuing to be my teacher, of course.”  
“Bhithinn toilichte. Leanaldh sinn a-màireach?”  
She looked at him blankly for a moment and then asked plainly, “Is that a yes? I only know those two sentences so far.”  
Murtagh chuckled. “Tis a yes. Tomorrow afternoon?”  
“That’s perfect. Thank you.”  
“Tha fàilte mhòr ort.” Skylar just smiled politely at him and nodded. Murtagh shook his head in amusement. “Tha tòrr obrach againn ri dhèanamh,” and then went into the shelter that he shared with Ian.   
Over the next couple days, Skylar tried to distract herself from worry over Ian by doing any and all chores she could find around the Ridge and making sure each one was done perfectly. She also tried to have Murtagh make their Gaelic lessons as long as possible. She wanted to impress Ian more by being able to have a simple conversation with him by the time he got back. But it wasn’t going as well as she had hoped. She was still struggling with simple phrases, but she wanted so badly to get them right that she was finding any chance to practice. That was why she had volunteered to go get more water from the river with Claire and Murtagh so that he could quiz her.   
“It’s verra nice te meet ye. What is yer name?” Murtagh asked as they walked to the river. The quiz involved him asking questions in English and then Skylar answering in Gaelic, as if they were just chatting casually.   
She knew this one and answered confidently, “Is e m’ainm Skylar.”  
He gave a nod in approval. “And how are ye teday, Skylar?”  
She thought for a minute, then spoke, “Tha mi an seo.” Murtagh held back a grin at her wrong word, making a mental note to go over that again. “Agus esan?”  
“ _He_ is _here_ as well, if ye were meanin’ te ask me if I am well.”  
“I got both of them wrong?” Skylar asked, feeling a bit dejected.  
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Claire told her. “You’re already doing better than me. I was married to Jamie for over a year before I could say just one or two of the phrases you’ve already mastered.”  
“Let’s keep goin’,” Murtagh pressed as they reached the river. He knelt by the water and filled the buckets while he continued. “What do ye think of the weather teday?”  
Skylar was now second guessing herself. “Um…chan eil an aimsir blàth an-diugh.”  
He heard her very simple mistake, but he wanted to see if she could catch it on her own without him saying anything. “Really? What makes ye say that?”  
She thought hard about every word as she said it, and answered slowly, “Tha a’ghrian glè shoilleir agus blath.”  
“That was verra well said and yer pronunciation was excellent. But ye did contradict yerself. Ye told me that it was not warm teday and then said the sun is verra bright and warm.”  
“This is hopeless! I’m never going to get it,” Skylar exclaimed.   
Claire tried to reassure her with, “Gaelic is a very difficult language, and it’s one you never heard a word of for the first sixteen years of your life. You can’t expect yourself to become fluent overnight.”  
The three of them picked up the now full buckets of water and started back for the Ridge.  
Skylar felt differently. “Ian learned Cherokee so quickly, and now he’s speaking Mohawk too. He’s so incredible with languages, and if I can’t learn just this one, I’m nervous he’ll think I’m too stupid for him and he’s just wasting his time with me. I want him to think I’m smart.”  
“Now, I havena been here too long, but I can tell as clear as the sky is up above and the dirt is below, Young Ian worships the ground ye walk on,” Murtagh said. “That boy’s love fer ye is unconditional and never endin’. I promise ye, lass, ye have nothin’ te fear wi’ losin’ him.”  
“You are also extremely smart on many things that Ian doesn’t understand,” Claire added.  
“Yeah, about technology and other shit that won’t even exist for another 200 plus years,” Skylar argued. “That doesn’t matter now in this century.”   
“Ye need te study hard then until I return and we can resume yer lessons,” Murtagh said. He was planning to leave the next morning to go back to Woolam’s Creek.  
“Are you sure you can’t stay?” Claire asked. “Having you here has really made Fraser’s Ridge feel like home.”  
“I have the forge te run. If I’m te stay in North Carolina at all, I’ll need te pay my taxes. And ye ken what that means.”  
“I do, unfortunately.” Claire shared a look with Skylar and she knew what Claire meant. In just a short number of years, the Revolutionary War would begin. Skylar was eager to see how she and her family would play a part in it, but she was also terrified because she knew Jamie and Ian would be drafted to fight. Fergus would, thankfully, be spared due to his hand, but it scared her far beyond any fear she had ever felt to think about her father and, likely by that time, husband, fighting in one of the most important wars in the country’s history; and what side would they fight on, or be forced to fight on?  
Murtagh continued, “As we speak, two of our best men are presenting the governor with our petition fer fewer taxes.”  
“Your regulator friends?” Claire questioned.  
But before he could answer, they all heard a young boy cry out, “Help! Get them off me!”  
“Who is that?” Skylar asked to no one in particular.   
They followed a voice and found a boy about 12 years old sitting on a stump. He seemed to be in pain so they ran to him to help.  
“What is it, lad?” Murtagh asked him. When they got closer, they saw what looked like black slugs on his legs.  
“Oh, they’re just leeches,” Claire observed. “They won’t hurt you.”  
“Please, can you remove them at once? They’re vile creatures,” the boy requested.   
“If you keep insulting them like that, they’re certainly not going to want to be nice to you either,” Skylar joked.   
“They also have some pretty special uses. And if you can stand it, it’s better to wait until they drop off by themselves.”  
The boy disagreed. “I hate them, and I’d rather not wait. If you please.”  
“Very well then,” Claire gave in. “Skylar, can you bring over a bucket? Don’t want to waste them. They’re very effective in reducing the swelling of bruises.” Skylar brought over one of the buckets and knelt on the other side of the boy, opposite from Claire. “I’ll do these, you get those,” Claire instructed, meaning Skylar would take care of the leeches on his right leg while Claire the left.  
“Alright, let’s get these little suckers off of you. Literally.” Skylar smiled kindly at the boy and his whole face turned red and he looked away from her.  
One by one, the women picked the leeches off and dropped them into the bucket. After just a minute or two, they were all gone with just a small drop of blood left behind from where each had been attached.   
“I want my father,” the boy told them, sounding a little afraid.   
“Where is he?” Murtagh followed.   
“I’m…I’m not sure. He told me to wait here while he went ahead to speak to a friend, and then he was going to come fetch me again. But that was several minutes ago. I’m afraid he’s gotten lost.”  
“What is your name?” Claire asked, hoping if they became more familiar with each other he would feel at ease with them.   
“William, ma’am. William Ransom.”  
“It’s very nice to meet you, William. My name is Claire. This is my daughter, Skylar, and our friend, Murtagh.”  
William looked to each one as he greeted them again with, “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”  
“Now, our home is very close by. Why don’t we take you back with us, and then we, along with my husband, can figure out how to find your father.”  
“I’m really not supposed to talk with strangers.”  
“You’ve trusted us this far,” Skylar pointed out. “You’re also going to need those spots from the leeches cleaned, and you can’t do any better than having Claire help you.”  
The 12 year old boy decided to listen to the pretty older girl, especially if it meant he could be around her for a couple extra minutes.   
“Very well. After you.”  
“Good choice.” Skylar smiled again, then she and Claire stood up and, along with Murtagh, led William back to their cabin. They also brought with them the horses that William said were his and his father’s.  
As they walked, Claire asked William, “How long have you and your father been here?” They could all tell that he was far out of any environment that he was used to. He was wearing green velvet and fur, and his shoulder length red hair was properly primped and groomed. He absolutely was not raised living in the backcountry.   
“We arrived just a few days ago. He has work in Virginia and he wanted to pass through here on our way there to see an old friend.”  
“That’s sweet of him. I’m sure his friend appreciated that,” Skylar commented.   
“Here we are, home sweet home,” Claire announced when the cabin came into view. “Let’s all get inside and we’ll get you something to eat. I’m sure you must be hungry.”  
“Thank you, ma’am.”  
When they walked through the door, Skylar almost crashed into Claire because she stopped so suddenly.   
“Lord John,” she stated in disbelief at the man standing next to Jamie.  
Skylar recognized him too. He had been the Governor of Jamaica when they had been there to rescue Ian. Lord John had also helped Jamie escape from the sea captain that was wanting to arrest him there.  
“Mistress Fraser. It is a pleasure to see you again,” Lord John replied and bowed.  
“You know my father?” William questioned.  
 _Omigod, John Grey is this kid’s dad? Then the friend he said he was coming to see…_ She looked between the gentleman and Jamie and was able to put their pieces together. _Wait, he had a child with a woman?_ She remembered when she met him and could tell immediately that he was gay. Not only that but was in love with Jamie, and she felt she could safely assume those feelings had not gone away. _I guess in this century there really is no other option._   
Still in shock at the surprise, Claire answered William’s question, “I do. The pleasure is mine.” She curtsied to John.   
John then noticed Murtagh and an expression of many different emotions crossed his face. “A reunion indeed. Mr. Fitzgibbons.” He bowed to Murtagh as well and Murtagh barely nodded his head in reply. “You appear well after all this time.”  
“Tis the mountain air I expect,” Murtagh said back, a little sharp.   
_Please, for the love of God, someone give me a backstory! How does Murtagh know him?_ Skylar thought.   
John’s eyes lastly landed on Skylar. He took a beat before he spoke, as if he was wondering why she looked so familiar. “Pardon me, but I’m afraid I have not had the honor or learning your name.”  
“My name is Skylar Kelley, sir. I’m Jamie and Claire’s daughter.” She followed suit and curtsied. She was slightly relieved he didn’t remember her. She was still embarrassed of how she acted at the ball.   
John’s eyebrows shot up. “Daughter?” He looked back at Jamie then to Skylar again. “I believe my sudden appearance caught him so off guard that he had not yet mentioned his daughter living here with him.”  
“That’s understandable.”  
John turned to his son and said to him, “I see you’ve made the acquaintance of our gracious hostess. Will you not also pay your compliments to our host?” He gestured to Jamie.   
Skylar looked to Jamie as well and was confused by the look on his face. He was almost in a trance staring at William and he looked like he could cry at any moment.   
“I don’t believe I’ve been given your name, sir,” William said to Jamie.   
Skylar could practically hear Jamie’s heart break at that sentence, though the change in his face was very subtle.   
“How impertinent of me,” John spoke up. “May I present Mr. James Fraser.” Jamie bowed to the young boy.   
“Mr. Fraser, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He copied the actions of the other men and bowed to Jamie as a greeting.   
“Yours as well, Master William,” Jamie responded.  
Skylar knew her dad well enough that, though a happy smile had lit up his face, she could tell there was pain behind the joy as well.   
_Who is this kid?_ She wanted to know why he was so important to Jamie.   
Claire then told John, “The young master encountered some leeches down at the stream. With your permission, I’d like to take him out to clean the wounds.”  
“Yes, of course,” he answered.   
“Skylar, will you help me?” She grabbed a couple clean linens and a bottle of whiskey as she asked.  
Skylar agreed. “Sure.”   
“Come along,” Claire called to William and he followed her and Skylar out. They had him sit on the bottom step of the cabin porch.   
Claire first washed the spots with plain water, then she had Skylar pour a bit of the whiskey on one of the linens to clean them more.  
William hissed in discomfort when Claire dabbed the alcohol on.   
“I know it stings, but that’s going to make sure there’s no chance it’ll get infected,” Skylar explained to him.   
William straightened his back at her comment. “It doesn’t hurt at all. I can’t even feel it.”  
She smiled at his obvious lie, but humored him. “Well then, you’re definitely braver than I am.”  
“You are all set,” Claire told him when she had finished. “Those will heal in no time and you won’t have any sort of scar. No one will ever know they were there.”  
“I thank you, ma’am, for your assistance. And you as well, Miss Kelley,” William said.   
“It was no problem at all. You were a very easy patient.” Claire smiled at him.  
Skylar added, “And you can just call me Skylar. We don’t need to be so formal.”  
He blushed slightly at the attention from her. “If you wish…Skylar.”  
It was decided that Lord John and William would stay until the day after the next, and Jamie, Claire and Skylar would all bunk in the shelter with Murtagh.  
John tried to argue against that. “Oh no, we would never dream of putting you out of your beds.”  
“Nonsense. Yer our guests. We dinna mind in the lease,” Jamie finalized.   
At dinner that night, they were all just talking and enjoying everyone’s company. Though Murtagh seemed very wary of John Grey. But him being a Regulator fighting hard against the English government, it wasn’t too surprising.  
“Did ye sail inte Wilmington?” Jamie asked when they were discussing his friend’s travels to the Colonies.  
“New Bern, sir,” William answered.   
“Governor Tryon was kind enough to offer us respite at his new palace,” John went on.  
Skylar glanced nervously at Murtagh for how he would react to Tryon’s name.   
Jamie could also feel the tension rise as Murtagh shifted in his seat and stared intensely at the Englishman. “Ye ken the governor then?”  
“Yes, we met some years ago in London. We’re both members of the of the Society for the Appreciation of the English Beefsteak.” He explained to Claire and Skylar, “It’s a gentleman’s club in London.”  
“Sounds fun, just a bunch of men talking about and eating steak,” Skylar joked.   
John laughed. “Quite.”  
“Ian would love te hear of such a club,” Jamie said.   
Skylar smiled at that. “He’d be the president.”  
“Ian is your nephew?” John wondered.  
“Aye,” Jamie told him. “He’s out huntin’ wi’ some of our Cheokee neighbors as we speak.”  
“He lives here with you?” Jamie nodded. “I’m very sorry to find him absent. The young man for whom you crossed an ocean.”  
Skylar groaned. “Please do not remind me. Just thinking about those endless months searching for him makes me sick.”  
John then had a lightbulb moment. “Yes, that’s it! I knew I had met you before but I could not for the life of me remember where. At the ball in Jamaica, you introduced yourself to me as the young woman who was in love with Jamie’s nephew.”  
Skylar ran a hand through her hair, feeling very awkward. “I was so hoping you had forgotten that. Definitely not my finest moment.”  
“And? I must know, did anything come from that, with you and him?”  
“Too much came from that,” Jamie said first.  
Skylar rolled her eyes and answered with a soft smile from thinking about Ian, “We are currently very very happy together.”  
“He is courting you?” William deducted.  
“He is.”  
“He is a very lucky man to have won the affections of someone as lovely as you.”  
Skylar looked quickly to Jamie and Claire, both biting back their reactions to such a formal compliment from someone so young; as was his father.  
Skylar swallowed a laugh and said, “Thank you, William. That’s very sweet.”  
Murtagh then suddenly changed the subject, like he had been wanting to talk about it for a while and couldn’t hold back any longer. “The Governor’s built himself a palace, then?”   
“Yes,” John told him. “When it’s complete, it will stand as a symbol to stability in the Province. A true monument to elegance.”  
 _Oh no._ Skylar looked back and forth between John and Murtagh like she was watching a tennis match.  
Murtagh scoffed. “Elegance?” The faces Jamie and Claire were shooting to him were silently screaming at him to not talk about this now. But he ignored them. “Where’s the money coming from?”  
Claire spoke to try to keep this unavoidable discussion civil. “A rather untimely investment, perhaps. Given the debts of the Province due to the recent war.”  
“I believe the Governor has asked the Assembly to allocate funds,” John told them. “Though it appears some here in the backcountry are rallying against the taxes levied to build it.”  
“Because the taxes are excessive. And rising,” Murtagh fought.  
Jamie also put in his two cents to try to get Murtagh’s point across before things got aggressive. “No doubt they feel a palace or a monument is not the best use of their hard-earned coin.”  
John looked a little shocked at his friend. “They? By ‘they’ I suppose you mean the mob, for that is what they inevitably turn out to be.”  
Skylar was feeling very comfortable watching this all play out. _Omigod, I hate politics. In any century we can’t talk about them._   
John went on. “And take these Regulators for instance. By all accounts, they’re unreasonable and dangerous. A menace to the backcountry and given to causing disruption by means of riot.” He was saying all of this directly to the unknown Regulator sitting across from him, and the older man’s face was getting red with anger. John then turned his focus to Jamie. “Have you encountered anything of the kind here?” Skylar held her breath.  
Jamie chuckled. “There is the backcountry, John, and there is the wilderness.”   
“Not likely to have that sort of trouble here at Fraser’s Ridge,” Claire added.  
Murtagh couldn’t let this go now that the can of worms had been opened. “By all accounts, it’s the Governor himself who’s unreasonable and dangerous.”  
John gathered his thoughts then recounted an event he had heard about recently. “Those Regulators tied a sheriff to his horse and marched with his beaten body through the streets of Hillsborough. There were women and children present. Would you call that reasonable?”  
Murtagh shook his head, laughing condescendingly. “Exaggeration and falsehood.”  
“I’m told there were many witnesses.” He took a breath to compose himself. “Have you not fared well in the New World?”  
“Oh, aye. I have more than rats to eat now, my Lord.”  
The already thick tension in the air was now made indestructible by that statement. There was some underlying message to those words from how John and Jamie reacted to them, and Skylar was itching to know what it was.  
But William just found it amusing, after sitting silent through everything. “You’ve eaten rats, sir?”   
Claire quickly “corrected” him. “Mr. Fitzgibbons has a very peculiar sense of humor.”  
“Aye.” Murtagh went along with the joke and winked at William. He then stood up and said to Claire, as she and John stood as well, “Thank ye fer dinner.”  
“A pleasant evening indeed,” John said back, bowing once again out of respect and to save face in front of his son and Jamie.  
Murtagh stormed out, nearly letting the door slam, but Claire caught it in time and closed it gently. She began to clear the table and Skylar got up to help.  
When he was calmer, John sat back down and suggested to Jamie, “Can I interest you in a game of chess?”  
“I’m afraid I dinna have a chess set,” Jamie told him.  
“Fortunately for you, I brought mine. I’d never travel without it.”  
“May I be excused?” William asked.   
Able to sense what he needed, Jamie said, “There’s a privy just behind the cabin, Master William.”  
The boy, who was used to having the best of everything and servants waiting on him, was flabbergasted to hear about an outhouse and him being expected to use it. “Outside? Won’t someone fetch a chamber pot?”  
Skylar grinned to herself as she continued to help Claire clean and put things away. She remembered the shock she felt when she first had to use a chamber pot and could completely understand William’s hesitation at something so unfamiliar.  
However, John explained to him, “You must become accustomed to using the privy while we’re guests here at Fraser’s Ridge.”  
“Yes, Papa.”  
Jamie stood up. “I’ll show ye where it is. A leannan,” he called to Skylar, “could ye bring the blankets out te the shelter?”  
“Okay,” she said. She picked up the blankets and pillows they had brought out and left on Jamie and Claire’s bed. She followed Jamie and William outside, but parted with them as they went to the privy and she headed for the shelter.  
She looked back at the two before going inside. They were walking slow and talking together. Just seeing their silhouettes in the dark, it was amazing how much they looked alike in how they carried themselves. There were also physical similarities between them a blind man would notice. Between the hair, face and jaw shape, and his nose and eyes, he was a mini Jamie. She thought it had been a funny coincidence when she saw William how much he looked Jamie. But now, after watching how Jamie interacted with him all day and how obvious it was from his voice and expressions that he cared deeply for this kid that he had seemingly just met, it was probably not just a coincidence.   
But that was a part of Jamie’s story from long before Skylar came into his life. If he chose not to share something, there was a good reason and she needed to respect that.  
She turned her back to their conversation and went into the shelter. She found Murtagh on one of the beds, drinking from a bottle of whiskey and furiously writing. He looked up when she came in for just a second before going back to his work.   
“What are ye doin’ out here, lass?”  
“I just came to bring blankets and pillows for us.” She crossed to the other bed and placed them down. “What are you writing?”  
“Notes fer tomorrow night. We’re gatherin’ te discuss our next moves, and that Redcoat bosom buddy’a Jamie’s has given me plenty of ideas fer what te say.”  
She wanted to try to lighten the mood, so she decided now would be a good time to practice her Gaelic. “Ci amar a tha thu?” She sat down across from him.   
Murtagh lifted his head to look at her and gave a half smile at her efforts. “Tha mi feargach.”  
She knew he said he was angry and tried to think of how to reply correctly. She ended up piecing together, “Is lugha leam dhusta.”  
He laughed. “I appreciate what yer tryin’ te say. But I think ye meant ‘Tha mi duilich dhut;’ ‘I’m sorry fer ye.’ Not ‘I hate fer ye.’”  
Skylar dropped her face in her hands. “Omigod.”   
“But at least ye ken the word fer hate.”  
She sighed and sat up. “I guess.”  
“That future Redcoat bastard was right. Young Ian is verra lucky te have ye, as is Jamie. And me, fer when I need a good distraction from me thoughts.”

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Murtagh left the next morning without waking any of the other three in the shelter. Skylar was sad that he had to leave, but it was better for everyone that he was not there while John Grey was.   
The day went by pleasantly. They had taken the day off from their regular chores and jobs around the Ridge to entertain their guests. Jamie found any excuse he could to be around William and spend as much time with him as possible. He and John would also go off alone to have private conversations that Claire seemed to understand and not ask questions about. And if Claire was fine with it, Skylar didn’t ask any questions either.   
Skylar was also liking getting to know John Grey. They got along well and she enjoyed talking to him. He told her about his upbringing in England and how he played his part in the Battle of Culloden. Jamie couldn’t stop himself from telling the story about how he and John first met in the days leading up to Culloden and how he had bravely defended Claire’s virtue.   
When John ended up asking how Skylar came to be in Jamie’s care, she gave a less detailed version of her regular story because she did not want to offend him with painting the British as evil. She told him it was, “A horrible run in with some unfortunate Redcoats that’s were nowhere near as kind as you are.”  
During the day, William followed Skylar like a puppy. He would always claim he needed to go with her everywhere “to protect a lady such as yourself from any improper villains that might show themselves,” when he really just wanted to be around her because he had a massive crush on her. Skylar didn’t mind though. She thought it was funny and adorable.   
The others picked up on it as well. When they were getting ready for bed that night, Jamie said to her, “It’s a good thing Ian isna here. Otherwise, I have no doubt William would challenge him to a duel fer yer hand.”  
Skylar laughed. “He’s a sweet kid. But for 12 years old, he talks like he’s 30.”  
“I suppose that’s what happens when you’re raised in the pinnacle of high society by Lord John Grey,” Claire stated.   
“Aye, from the moment he could walk and talk, William acted like the true Earl he’s in line te be one day John has told me as such, I mean,” Jamie added quickly at the end. He looked at Skylar from the side of his eyes, but she hadn’t noticed.  
The next morning went a bit slow with getting John and William packed up. This was due to John seeming to have no energy to move and was very tired, like he was in a daze. He was acting like every action was a struggle.   
“Are you feeling alright, John?” Skylar asked him as he put on his coat at a snail’s pace.  
Breathing heavy, he told her, “I’m afraid I had a rather rough night. I believe I’m coming down with something.”  
Horrible memories of her sickness played in her mind and it was making her fear the worst. “Maybe you should have Claire check you out before you go.”  
“I wouldn’t want to waste her time. I’m sure it’s nothing but a cold.”  
Claire came back in after attaching a bag of food to John’s horse, and when he saw her, he said to her as thanks, “Mistress Fraser, your hospitability these past few days has been greatly appreciated.” When he bowed to her, Skylar was nervous he was going to fall forward. Claire was nervous too.   
She lifted his head to look at his face while Jamie said, “I’ll escort ye te the road that’ll have ye on yer way te Virginia.”  
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Claire disagreed. “You’re burning up. He has quite a few of the same symptoms you did, Skylar.”  
She came over to see him again. “Oh no, are you serious?”  
Claire looked behind his ears and, sure enough, the small red dots were starting to appear.   
“There’s a measles epidemic in Cross Creek. Did you travel through there?” Claire questioned John.   
“Yes,” he answered. “Have I got the measles? If so, you must keep William away.”  
 _This cannot be happening again,_ Skylar thought, less freaking out and more annoyed at the situation repeating itself so soon.  
To double check what she already knew was true, Claire instructed him, “Open your mouth.” When he did, she saw the same white spots inside that Skylar had. She brought him to a chair as she continued to question him. “How long have you felt ill?”  
Jamie and Claire helped him to sit, and when he was down, he told her, “I felt somewhat lightheaded when I retired last night. I awoke with a bad headache, but I thought it a consequence of Jamie’s so-called whiskey.”  
“Your symptoms came on a lot faster than mine did,” Skylar said.   
“You’ve had the measles recently?”  
“Yes, about a month ago. But it took a week of me thinking I just had a bad cold before my rash showed up.”  
“Well, seeing you all bright eyed now gives me hope for my own recovery.”  
“I’ll put some willow bark to steep. That will help with the headache. But you need to rest.” Claire headed for the kitchen, subtly gesturing for Jamie and Skylar to follow her.   
Before she did, Skylar said to John, “Just to warn you, the willow bark tea does not taste good. But it does the trick and will help ease the pain.”  
John let out a dry laugh. “I appreciate the warning.”  
She gave him a small smile then went to join Claire and Jamie.   
“He’s very infectious,” Claire said as she gathered materials to make the tea. “Thank God you both have already had it.”  
“Murtagh as well,” Jamie informed her. “It willna infect us?”  
“No, nor me either. I’ve been inoculated.”  
“How does this keep happening?” Skylar thought aloud. “Me, the Muellers, and now Lord John. Are we just a magnet for the measles?”  
Claire went on, “William may have been exposed to the same source as Lord John and just not shown signs of it yet. Pass me the pot.” Jamie picked up said pot from the fireplace and put it on the table for her to use. She told Jamie, “You need to take William and stay away for at least six days. Hopefully by then, John will well be on his way to recovery. Or…” She and Jamie stared at the man half asleep in the chair, their faces finishing that dark sentence.  
“No,” Skylar argued. “No, no, no. You didn’t let me think that was a possibility, and we’re not letting John think that either. He will get better and he will be fine.”  
“Skylar, I want you to go with Jamie and William as well.”  
“I’m not having you heal another measles patient on your own. That’s not fair to you to put you through all of that again. I know how much trouble I was. I know what to do. I can help.”  
“I know you can, darling. And I love so much that you want to help me. But with you having had it so recently, I worry that your immune system might still be a bit weak and you’d have an easier time catching anything if you’re exposed, even if you can’t get the measles again. Plus, William really likes you. He’s going to be scared and having you there as well as Jamie will be a comfort to him.”  
Skylar let out a sharp breath. “Fine, I’ll go. But I’m gonna feel guilty about it the whole time.”  
“I promise, the next case of measles, I’ll take a break and let you solo nurse them back to health.”  
With that decided, Jamie announced to John, “Skylar and I’ll take the lad fer a tour. Show him Fraser’s Ridge.” John could barely turn his head to acknowledge what Jamie had said.   
Jamie went outside first to tell William what was happening and get the horses ready. Skylar followed after packing a few blankets and some extra food.  
As she got ready to go, Claire said to her, “Please be careful out there. And make sure they don’t end up getting themselves killed.”  
Skylar chuckled. “I’ll try my best. If Ian happens to come back before we do, tell him I’m safe with Dad. He’ll be worried.”  
“I swear, you two spend more time worrying about each other than anything else.”  
“Yeah, that’s because Dad won’t let us do anything else.” She smiled at her adoptive mom, then joined Jamie and William outside. She made it out in time to see Jamie dragging William by the collar as he kicked to try to get away and stuck him on his horse.  
“You, sir, are a lout,” she heard William say to the Scot.  
“Aw, William. You’re not looking forward to our trip through Fraser’s Ridge? I thought we would. Have fun,” she said to the boy as she climbed onto Claire’s horse.   
William’s face down to his neck turned red when she appeared. “I apologize, Skylar. I didn’t mean for you to witness me behaving like a child.”  
 _Says the child,_ she thought, jokingly.  
But out loud, she said, “It’s alright. I would be acting the same way if I was in your position.”  
With Jamie mounted on his horse, the three set off on their week long excursion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GAELIC TRANSLATIONS (if any of you actually know Gaelic please do not come for me if these seem totally wrong! I just used Google Translate!)
> 
> Gach uair a phògas mi thu, bidh mi a tuiteam ann an goal leat a-rithist – “Every time I kiss you, I fall in love with you all over again”
> 
> Agus a-rithist – “And again”
> 
> Thig dhachaigh sàbhailte – “Come home safe”
> 
> Bhithinn toilichte. Leanaldh sinn a-màireach? – “I’d be happy to. Shall we continue tomorrow?”
> 
> Tha failte mhòr ort – “You’re very welcome”
> 
> Tha tòrr obrach againn ri dhèanamh – “We have a lot of work to do”
> 
> Is e m’ainm Skylar – “My name is Skylar”
> 
> Tha mi an seo – “I’m here”
> 
> Agus esan? – “And he?”
> 
> Chan eil an aimsir blàth an-diugh – “The weather is not warm today”
> 
> Tha a’ghrian glè shoilleir agus blàth – “The sun is very bright and warm”
> 
> Ci amar a tha thu – “How are you doing?”


	42. The Evergrowing Frasers, Part 2

The small group rode in silence for close to an hour. Jamie and Skylar both were trying to talk to William, but they only got nods or single word answers from him in response. It was clear he was very concerned and scared for his father and wanted to be helping to care for him rather than trot on horseback through 10,000 acres of land with two, basically, strangers.   
Having given up for the time being on trying to make small talk with someone who was not interested, Skylar scoured their surroundings as they rode, thinking that maybe the hunting party Ian was with was nearby.  
“Are ye lookin’ fer somethin’, a leannan?” Jamie called out to her. He had noticed her head turning in every direction for over a mile.  
Skylar blushed a little at being caught. “I’m just staying on lookout in case there are any, you know…Cherokee around hunting. Or groups of them, maybe. With friends.”  
Jamie chuckled low to himself, understanding her meaning. “Ye and Ian have been apart for not even a week. A bit’a distance may be good fer ye both, ye ken. Makes the heart grow fonder, and such.”  
“Because it’s so easy for you to think that when you’re away from Claire, right? You’ve said it yourself, he and I pretty much need each other to breathe. I miss him a lot when he’s gone.”  
“Speakin’ of the Cherokee,” Jamie announced, thankful for the quick subject change. He said to William, “Ye see these initials?” They stopped next to a tree with multiple different initials carved into it. “Ye’ll find similar markin’s all along this area. They serve as a Treaty Line between Indian land and the King’s land. Ye must always stay on this side of the marked trees.”  
“Why are the savages permitted to remain on the land?” William asked when they started moving again.   
“Well, they were here first.”  
“It’s _their_ land. _They’re_ the ones who are kind enough to let _us_ stay,” Skylar added.  
Jamie went on, “And the Crown has already taken most of it from them. The Indians respect the King’s land, and we must respect theirs.”  
“These Indians, they are agreeable?” William questioned, with a nervous tone to his voice.  
“Some. But they can be fierce when provoked.”  
“Just like all other people,” Skylar continued. “If you just go by the golden rule, you’ll be fine.”  
“The golden rule?” William repeated.  
“Treat others the way you would want to be treated. If you treat the Natives with kindness and respect, there’ll be no reason for them to get angry.”  
Jamie led them to the famous spot on the cliff where you can see all of Fraser’s Ridge. Though she had seen it many times before, Skylar still thought it was just as beautiful as it was when she, Jamie and Claire first came upon it, and when Jamie decided that this is where they would make their home.  
William was also quite astonished by the sight. “Have you ever seen such a glorious thing, sir?” he said to Jamie.  
Jamie smiled at William while he stood staring out at the scene, mesmerized. “Never,” he answered.  
Skylar watched Jamie watch William for a few moments. The look on his face and in his eyes was a very familiar look of love. It was the same look of love he had when he was with her or Fergus; a look of total paternal love and pride.  
She so badly wanted to ask Jamie about his history with the boy and she often had to bite her lip as they rode so far to keep something form slipping out. But if her suspicions were correct and Jamie had not yet even told her, she could be very certain that William had no idea, and Skylar’s loose lips could not be the way he found out. As much as it killed her, she had to wait for Jamie to bring it up.  
 _I could be blowing this way out of proportion and just jumping to major conclusions,_ she thought as they continued on for the rest of the day and she kept watching William and Jamie interact. _Just because William is a mini copy and paste of Dad, and he has been acting real emotional and sentimental with William, it doesn’t mean that Dad has a secret kid. Jesus, is there any part of this family’s life that wouldn’t make a plot for a soap opera episode?_  
When they found a place to make camp for the night, Jamie said that he was going to go down to the river to catch fish for their dinner. But wanting to impress Skylar with how grown up he was, William “volunteered” to be the one to catch their dinner. So the three went down to the river, and Jamie and Skylar stood back while William attempted to fish. But after multiple tries and no bites, he was getting frustrated.   
“I don’t understand why they’re not taking the bait,” he complained.  
“Because that’s a fly,” Jamie told him, plainly.  
With a “yeah, duh” attitude, William said back, “Yes, one of the very best.”  
“Aye. But it’s the wrong time of year. The fish are wise enough te ken flies are no here. Try a worm.”  
William’s eyes flicked to Skylar and then back to Jamie. “I don’t use worms, sir,” he replied, as if the very idea of using a worm was childish and Skylar would think less of him for it.   
“Ye did when ye were younger. D’ye not recall? After heavy rains at Helwater, we’d gather the wee beasties.”  
Skylar looked to Jamie sharply when he told that, taken aback by it.  
 _So Dad does know him? And when he was younger? How young? What the hell does this freakin’ mean?!_  
“I remember some such thing. But I prefer fishing with a fly,” William forced himself to say to keep up the act of “being a man” in front of a pretty girl.   
But Skylar could see through that and she wanted him to know she thought nothing bad of worms. So she said, “And that’s a great method. But in my own opinion, I always choose a worm.” She looked around at the ground and quickly found one. She picked it up and looked at William, whose mouth was agape. She laughed at his reaction and went to stand next to him. “May I?” she inquired, pointing to the fishing rod. He handed it to her and she replaced the fly with the worm, then cast it back out.   
William was so in shock that the lightest breeze could have knocked him over. “I’ve never seen a lady fish before. Or have anything to do with, let alone touch, a worm or any other kind of crawler.”  
“Skylar is verra unlike any other lass ye could ever meet. She is truly one in a million,” Jamie bragged. Skylar smiled at him over her shoulder.  
“And living in the woods long enough, you kind of have to learn to be comfortable with bugs,” she followed.  
“My cousin, Dottie,” William compared, “she wouldn’t fare well living in a cabin in the backcountry. She pales and nearly faints at the mere sight of an insect.”  
“Then it’s definitely a good thing she didn’t accomp – woah!” She felt a large tug on the line and turned all her attention to reeling it in. The prize came flying out of the water, and she was able to catch it before it hit her in the face.  
“One down, two to go,” she said, grinning, as she held up the fish still on the line.  
William looked at her in awe. “That was incredible.”  
“Dad taught me how.”  
“There’s another way that I’ve only just recently learned meself,” Jamie told them. “From our Indian friends. They dinna bother with line and hook. Sometimes, they place branches te stop the fish from crossin’. Then they stand wi’ sharp sticks, spearin’ ‘em.”  
Skylar nodded. “Once Ian learned that, it’s become one of the only ways he’ll fish. And every time he uses a speak, I have an awful feeling that he’s somehow gonna fall onto it and be impaled. I love that boy so much but, I swear to God, he will be the death of me.”  
Jamie suddenly stood up from the tree he was sitting under and took off his coat. He went to a spot a few yards away from where William had been trying. He knelt down next to the river and stuck his hand in the water.   
Skylar had seen him do this before, but William was confused. “What are you doing?” He went closer to Jamie to see better.  
“Catchin’ our dinner. Highlanders can catch fish wi’ bare hands and a tickle.”  
“A tickle? Please, sir, I’m not a child.”  
“He’s serious,” Skylar promised. “It works every time. Watch, it’ll happen.”  
William seemed skeptical, but he didn’t look away from Jamie with, now, both hands in the water. Then, not five seconds later, Jamie shot up to standing with a fish in his hands.   
“Told you,” Skylar teased William, but he didn’t her. His eyes had widened immensely as he watched Jamie handle the fish.   
Trying to keep a grip on it, Jamie said, “Now, we’ll have te make camp fer the night, and then rise before dawn te find the best deer.” He walked off, taking the fish back to where they had left their belongings.  
“Are we to hunt deer?” William asked, excited. He chased after Jamie, leaving Skylar alone by the river.  
“No, no, it’s okay. I’ll catch the third fish myself. It’s no problem,” she called after them.  
That night, after the fish was cooked and they had sat down around the fire to eat, William surprised his companions by asking them, “If you don’t mind my asking, are you two actually father and daughter?”  
After taking a beat to reflect on that question, Jamie responded with, “What do ye mean by that?”  
“Well, Skylar calls you Dad, and I haven’t heard it used very much, but I do know that that is a term some use when speaking with their father. And both you and Mistress Fraser call her your daughter. Yet, she does not speak like or resemble either of you, and she calls your wife by her name and not ‘mother.’ I apologize for asking if it is out of line. I was just curious.”  
Both Jamie and Skylar gave smile smiles at the question. “It isna out of line, lad.” He looked at Skylar to see if she wanted to tell the story; and so she gave the abridged version.  
“So, my parents died a few years ago, and since I had no other family in Scotland, Jamie ended up finding me on the streets and took me in. We became veery close very quickly, and I thought of and treated him as a father, and he thought of and treated me as a daughter. I ended up calling him Dad one day and it just kinda stuck. And since Claire is his wife, I was around her almost as much time as I was him, so she came to see me as her daughter as well. I love Claire as a mother, and in fact she is my second mother. But I just haven’t started calling her Mom yet. Does that make sense?”  
“It does,” William answered. “Do you still miss your real parents?”  
 _Only one of them,_ she thought.  
But out loud, she said, “I do. But I keep them close to me always.” She stretched out her necklace so that he could see it. “My mom gave me this very soon before she died. I never take it off.” She squeezed the charm and then let it rest again.  
“My mother died not too long ago. She got sick.” William looked down at his plate, just poking the fish with his fork.  
Skylar felt a pain in her chest when he said that. She could see just how much grief he still felt and how heartbroken he was from losing her. She wished so much she could tell him how her mother actually died, that she understood completely how awful it is to lose your mom to a sickness.   
But because she couldn’t, she just took a breath and said, “I am so sorry, William. I’m sure she was such a wonderful woman and mother.”  
To bring the spotlight off of him and back to Jamie and Skylar, he said, “I can’t imagine ever having to care for someone else’s child. The idea of it seems…strange somehow.”  
“Sometimes, the circumstances around the situation are out of yer control,” Jamie started. “The true parents may want wi’ their whole heart and soul te raise their child, and would do or give anythin’ they had te te make it happen. But somethin’ may stand in the way and prevent it from bein’ possible. So, they have no choice but to give up their child.” During his speech, he looked back and forth between the ground and William, but Skylar knew he had meant for William to be the recipient of that message.  
Still, she couldn’t help but think, _Is he only talking about Brianna? Or could he also mean…_  
Jamie hadn’t been joking about rising before dawn. William may have been excited at deer hunting the day before, but now that he was being woken up to go do it while it was still dark, he was less than thrilled.  
Skylar very graciously told Jamie to take William without her. “This will give you some extra quality time with him on your own,” she claimed. And then as soon as they were gone, she fell right back asleep.  
William’s attitude had started to change during the day. When he and Jamie came back to the camp with a stag, he had been all proud and bustling over having helped to kill it and gutted it himself.   
But as the day went by and into the night, his energy and spark dwindled. He became very quiet and solemn, preferring to sit by himself most of the time. He didn’t find excuses to be near Skylar and he didn’t want to help cook the meat when Jamie offered.   
At dinner, he didn’t say a word unless he was prompted.  
To try to get him to talk, Jamie asked him, “How’s the liver?”  
“Delicious, sir,” he answered, simply.  
“Aye, my dad always said it tastes better when ye’ve earned every bite.”  
He was quiet again, but Skylar could hear him sniffling; either trying to hide that he was crying or trying to force himself to stop.  
“Are you alright, William?” she asked him, delicately.  
Without looking up at her, he told her, “I’m fine.”  
Jamie could tell he was upset too and went to kneel in front of him. “Do ye feel warm or feverish?”   
“I’m quite well, sir.” He didn’t look Jamie in the eye either and his voice sounded very choked up.   
Skylar knew he was thinking about his father and was getting scared all over again. And now knowing that his mom had died from being sick, not knowing how his father was, health wise, at this current moment must be agonizing.   
Jamie knew this was about John Grey as well. But he also knew that William would never just want to talk about how he was actually feeling, so he continued with the “are you sick” bit.  
“Those dried apples no sit well? I have a potion that will cure ills of the stomach.” He went back to his seat next to Skylar to look through his bag for the medicine. “It’ll no take long te brew. Claire made it. She’s a fine healer.”  
Mentioning Claire seemed to work with getting him to talk. “She said Papa would live. She…she gave me her word.”  
“Then ye may depend upon it.”  
“I can guarantee that she is doing absolutely everything she can to get you dad healthy as soon as possible,” Skylar assured him.  
He didn’t respond to her. “I’ve had enough of sleeping under the stars as savages do. I want to go home.”  
“Dinna fash, my Lord. We’ll begin our journey home in the mornin’,” Jamie told him.  
“I-I want to see my papa now.” The tears he had been holding back were going to fall at any second.  
“It’s too dark.”  
William stood up and started yelling at Jamie. “This is all your fault! If my papa hadn’t come to visit you, he never would have fallen ill. And…and now he’s going to die.” Not saying anything else, he threw himself to the ground in the small makeshift tent Jamie set up for him.  
Jamie stood up to go speak to him, but Skylar stopped him.  
“Dad, wait. He’s not going to listen to you right now. Let me try.”  
His eyes looking watery as well, he nodded and walked away to give them space.  
Skylar looked back to the terrified young boy huddled in the half tent. “William?” she softly called to him. He didn’t answer. She went closer and sat next to him. “William, I know-” She had put a hand on his shoulder o comfort him but he pulled away. She tried again. “I know how scared you’re feeling right now. Believe me, I do. I was once forced from someone I love and I didn’t know if he was okay. That time apart from him was one of the scariest times of my life and I didn’t know how I was going to get through it. But I did and I got to see him again, and he was okay. When we get back to your dad, you’re gonna see. He is going to be strong, healthy, and better than ever.”  
Through tears, he mumbled, “How can you be sure? The doctor said Mama was going to get better. And then she died.”  
“She didn’t have Claire with her. Claire is the smartest, most resourceful doctor your father could ever have working on him. He is in the best possible hands. And I know for a fact that she can do wonders with the measles.”  
“How?”  
“Because I had the measles and she cured me.”  
William turned to face her. “You had it?”  
“I did. About a month ago. I had it just as bad as your dad and Claire was a miracle worker with getting me better.”  
“She really helped you?”  
“She saved my life.” A couple extra tears fell down his face and he wiped them away quickly. Skylar pretended she didn’t see. “Whenever Ian can’t sleep, I sing to him to help him calm down and relax. Do you want me to try that with you?” he nodded. “Okay. Can you close your eyes?” When he did, she started singing. “Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly, lavender’s green. When I am king, dilly dilly, you shall be queen. Who told you so, dilly dilly, who told you so? Twas my own heart, dilly dilly, that told me so.”  
By the third verse, Skylar could see that he was starting to drift off. A deep maternal instinct in her took over and she stoked his hair as she finished. “I love to dance, dilly dilly, I love to sing. When I am queen, dilly dilly, you’ll be my king. Who told me so, dilly dilly, who told me so? I told myself, dilly dilly, I told me so.”  
She saw he was breathing very evenly and not moving around, so she knew he was asleep.   
She was caught off guard by a tear falling down her own face. She sniffed and wiped it away. For a very brief moment, she let herself pretend that William was her and Ian’s son that she was comforting, and coming back to reality hurt.  
She was brought out of her head by Jamie appearing next to her with a blanket. She stood up to get out of his way and he laid the blanket over William.   
“Is he alright?” he whispered.  
“Yeah, he’ll be fine,” she replied, whispering also. “He’s just worried about John.”  
“I dinna blame him.” They both went back to their original spots by the fire. “He hates me/],” Jamie stated.  
“He doesn’t hate you.  
“He didna say it in so many words, but I could hear it in the words he did say.”  
“I promise you, he doesn’t hate you. I screamed much worse at my mom when I was angry and needed someone to blame. Kids yell at their parents when they don’t mean it. It’s bene happening since the dawn of time, and you and William are no exception.” She then heard what she said and wanted to evaporate into the air.   
Fuck, fuck, fuck! Shit, shit! What do I say?!  
She tried to backtrack but could only get out stutters. “I-I-I…I’m…I didn’t-I…I’m so sorry. I didn’t…I didn’t mean…” Her entire body felt like it was on fire. It felt worse than when she had her fever.   
Jamie finally spoke, saying only, “It’s alright, Skylar.” A deafening silence enveloped them for an uncomfortable amount of time. But Jamie broke it with a very low, almost inaudible, “How did ye know?”  
It took Skylar a minute to find her breath after hearing him say that. But when she did, she said, “So it’s true? William is _your_ son?”  
“Aye, he is. When did ye figure it out?”  
“The first day he and John were here. He’s just like you, dad. His face, some of his mannerisms, the way he carries himself. The similarities aren’t exactly subtle.”  
“I ken. That’s why I had te leave him in the first place. If it came out that I was his father, his life would’ve been ruined.”  
“So, John Grey…”  
“I asked him te care fer Willie as his father. John’s wife, Isobel, was Willie’s true aunt. But she cared for him as his mother.”  
“And his birth mother?”  
Jamie paused. “She was te wed a man her father promised her to. He wasna the kind of man she wanted te give her maidenhead te, and so she…convinced me te be the one. Tis not a night I look back on fondly.”  
“What happened to her?”  
“She died the same day Willi was born, as did her husband.”  
She then asked the questions she was nervous for, “Does Claire know?”  
She was relieved when he said, “Oh, aye. She kens eveythin’ about him.”   
They both looked at the boy sleeping peacefully in the tent.   
“Can you ever tell him?” Skylar asked.  
“No. No, he can never know. No one else can ever know. Even Ian. Ye must swear te me, Skylar, that ye willna tell Ian. Or Fergus or Marsali.”  
“I swear. I won’t ever tell anyone.”  
“Good.”  
Skylar ended up falling asleep with her head in Jamie’s lap and him still sitting upright. When she woke up, she sat up slowly, stretched and rubbed her eyes. She looked to William’s tent was suddenly wide awake when she saw he wasn’t there.  
“Dad! Dad, wake up!” yelled to Jamie, hitting him as she stood up.   
“Whats’a matter?” he muttered, still half asleep.   
“William’s gone!”  
That made his power switch turn on and he bolted up. “Willie?” he called. When there was no answer, he did a 360 and shouted louder, “William!”  
“He can’t have gotten far. The horses are still here,” Skylar said, trying not to panic.  
Jamie then noticed something. “There.” He got closer to the ground and saw William’s footprints. “This way.” They took off, following the prints and praying that they would lead to wherever William was.   
They were led past a tree with similar initials on it as the one Jamie pointed out a few days earlier. Just past the tree was a downward slope that led to a different part of the river than they had been at before, a part of the river they were not welcome at.  
Skylar glanced down the hill and yelled, “Dad! He’s there,” stopping Jamie before he went too far past the spot. At the river’s bank was William. Jamie and Skylar went down to him, and as relieved as they were to have found him, they now had another major problem.  
“William,” Jamie spoke out. The boy turned around and was holding a spear with a fish on it from a Cherokee trap.  
“Look what I found!” he exclaimed.  
 _This is bad. This is very bad,_ Skylar thought, still trying to hold back the panic.  
Jamie was looking around to make sure there was no one else around as he went to William with Skylar right behind him. “Ye shouldna be here.”  
“It’s to break our fast,” William tried to explain.  
“William, you need to put that back now. It is not ours to take,” Skylar told him.  
“I thought I told ye-” Jamie started to scold him, but William interrupted him.  
“Savages,” he announced, looking behind Jamie.  
Jamie and Skylar spun around to see a group of Cherokee that they had never met coming down the hill towards them.   
Jamie pushed Skylar and William behind him. “Stay back, the both’a ye.”  
When the Cherokee came right up to them, Jamie pulled out his knife and threw it away to show he meant them no harm. He tried to speak words of peace to them in Cherokee, but they were not interested. Two had rifles pointed at him and the others just stared at him. Skylar felt chills spread all through her body.  
She held tight to William to keep him safe and tried to remember anything that Ian had taught her. But her mind was totally blank.   
Jamie took the spear with the fish and handed it to one of the men as an apology, but he just took it and threw it in the bushes. He spoke to Jamie in Cherokee and another repeated in English, “The boy took fish from place of Cherokee. He must pay with his blood.”  
“What? No! He’s just a child! He didn’t know!” Skylar yelled at them.  
Two of the Cherokee grabbed Jamie to restrain him while another held Skylar and a fourth pulled William forward.  
“No! You can’t do this! Stop!” Skylar kept screaming.   
Jamie then yelled, “No, no, no! The boy is my son! His blood is my blood. Take mine instead.”  
Skylar pulled to get away from the man but he was stronger. “Dad, no! No, you can’t! Please! Dad, don’t do this!”  
The one who spoke English translated to their leader who accepted the tradeoff. The man holding William threw him to Skylar. She death gripped him with one arm while her captor held her around the waist and onto her other arm.   
Now sobbing, she screamed, “There’s another way! There must! Please!” When the two holding him pushed him to his knees, she cried, “I’m his daughter! Take me, please! I beg you, let them go and take me!”  
“Yer not blood, Skylar,” he told her simply.  
William tried to get to Jamie but Skylar wouldn’t let him. “I won’t leave without you!”  
“Yes, ye will.”  
“No!” Skylar fought.  
“Yes, Skylar. I am yer father and ye’ll do as I say. Take Willie back te Fraser’s Ridge. Ye ken the way.” He then added a quick prayer, “May the Lord protect her, her and the children.”  
When the Cherokee raised his axe, Skylar screamed so loud she thought she would lose her voice, “Dad, no!”  
At the last second, William broke from Skylar and shouted, “No! No, he’s not my father!” Another in the group caught around him but he continued, “He’s not my father. He showed me the boundaries but I did not respect them. I alone stole your fish.”  
While his words were repeated in Cherokee, Jamie warned him, “Stand down, Willie.”  
Skylar was close to throwing up or passing out, and the tears were flowing steadily. She didn’t know what to say, think or do. She could only watch as the scene played out in front of her.   
The leader nodded at the man holding William and he pushed the boy to the front. Jamie started screaming and fighting again, and Skylar was just frozen in petrified fear, unable to move.   
He raised his axe again, but when he brought it down, he stopped it halfway. He made a small cut on the hand William had raised in protection. He wiped some of the blood from it and rubbed it between his fingers. He spoke to William, though he nor Jamie and Skylar knew what he was saying, and then walked away. That signaled for the others to follow and they let go of Jamie and Skylar, then went back into the woods.   
When they were gone, Skylar turned towards the river and violently vomited. She took a couple minutes to catch her breath and feel her heart return to normal. When she turned back, she saw William hugging Jamie and Jamie embracing him as well. She didn’t say anything so she wouldn’t ruin this moment. But when it did end, Jamie looked at his daughter and stretched his hand out to her.   
“M’annsachd,” he called to her.  
She collapsed into his arms and cried into his chest while he held her against him and stroked her hair. When she pulled back from him, she looked up at him and said, “I can’t keep almost losing you like that, Dad.” She then looked at William who was off to the side. “And you!” She crushed him against her in a massive hug. “You need to listen and do as your told! Got it?” She looked down at him and held his face. “Are you okay, William?”  
He nodded. “It’s just my hand.” He held it up and she could see the cut was not serious.   
“Let’s get it cleaned and bandaged.” She put an arm around his shoulders and they all went back to their camp.   
After Skylar wrapped William’s hand, they packed their things and started back to Fraser’s Ridge. William wanted to ride with Jamie, so they tied William’s horse to Skylar’s horse to lead it along.   
After three days, they made it back at last. Jamie had William wait outside with Skylar while he checked to make sure it was okay for him to go inside.   
Skylar could feel William’s anxiety as she held his shoulders.   
_Please let him be okay. Please, please let him be okay,_ she pleaded in her head.  
When Jamie said that it was safe, William sped into the house. “Papa!” he said with such happiness at seeing his father and went right to him and hugged him. John did look much better. He still had the rash but it was in its last stages and he was able to stand on his own. He hugged William in relief at having him back safe again.   
“I trust he was well behaved for you?” he said to Jamie.  
 _I mean, other than almost getting himself and Jamie killed by some Cherokee, yeah, he was a perfect angel._  
Jamie answered with, “William was a very brave travel companion. Ye’ve raised him well. Yer a good father.”  
“As are you,” John said back, glancing at Skylar. Skylar gave Jamie a tired smile and laid her head against his arm.   
The guests stayed until the next morning when Claire deemed John was well enough to travel.  
When they were all saying goodbye, John came to Skylar and said, “It was so wonderful to officially meet you. I do hope we will see each other again soon.”  
“I can’t imagine we won’t.”  
“Your suitor will demand it, I’m sure.” John gestured behind her. She turned around and smiled when she saw William approach her.  
When he reached her, he bowed to her and she curtsied back.   
“Skylar, it was truly an honor to have been in your company these last few days. Your father was right to say you are one in a million. You are honestly one of the most special and lovely, inside and out, women I have ever met.”  
In response to the 30 year old in a 12 year old’s body, she bent down and kissed his cheek. “You are going to make some girl very happy one day.”  
His whole face and neck turned tomato red and he had trouble forming any actual words. So he just bowed to her again and walked away.   
Once everything was in place, John and William went off. But before they got too far, William looked back over his shoulder to Jamie. Skylar looked up at Jamie and his expression of content, pride and hope made her tear up. She silently prayed that William would find his way to Jamie again, and that one day he could know the truth.  
Once they were gone, the now three went back inside to help clean up Claire’s pop up hospital.   
They had a small dinner that night where Jamie and Skylar told Claire everything that had happened while they were gone, including Skylar finding out about William’s true parentage.   
After dinner, Claire came to Skylar and said, “Darling, you know Jamie and I love you so very much and we love having you sleep in here with us. But would you hate it terribly if you slept in the shelter tonight so we can be alone for a bit? It’s just been a very long time since we’ve been alone.”  
Skylar got the message loud and clear. “Say less. I’m out.” She said goodnight to both of them and went outside to the shelter. She climbed into Ian’s bed and wrapped the blanket around her. After all the major excitement, she was very thankful for this moment of quiet and peace.  
She didn’t know when she fell asleep, but what felt like seconds later, she was woken up by a faraway voice calling to her, “Skylar. Sky. Wake up. Yank, it’s me.”  
Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Ian standing above her. Her smile took over her face and she sat up, hugging him tight. “Ian!” she exclaimed. “You were gone longer than I thought you were going to be,” she told him when they separated. “I was worried you decided to run away and join the Cherokee.”  
Ian laughed and sat down next to her, holding her hand. “Why are ye sleepin’ out here? And where’s Murtagh?”  
“Murtagh went back to Woolam’s Creek, and Dad and Claire kicked me out last night.”  
“They kicked you out?”  
“Yeah, they wanted some time to be alone, if you understand what I mean.”  
He gave a nod. “Ah, aye. I ken yer meanin’. However, I have no issues wi’ that because it means _I_ can have some time te be alone with _ye_.” He leaned into her and they kissed like they had been apart for years. “I missed ye,” he said to her when they had to catch their breath. “I hate bein’ away from ye.”  
“Then stop leaving me.” They both smiled at the one they loved so desperately and whole heartedly, and kissed once more, but more tender this time. Skylar had to break it though when she couldn’t hold in a yawn.  
“Are ye tired, Yank?” She nodded. “I’m sorry fer wakin’ ye.”  
“No, I’m so glad you did. I love your face being the first thing I see when I wake up.” She gently touched his face and he took her hand to kiss it.  
“I’m verra tired as well. Will ye stay wi’ me te sleep?”  
“I’m not going anywhere.”  
They laid down facing each other. Ian wrapped his arms around her to pull her in close enough so that she could curl her body into his chest and have her head in the crook of his neck.   
He very softly drew small circles on her back as he asked, “So, how was life here at the Ridge while I was away?”  
“God, Youngin’. You have no idea how much you missed.”


	43. A Series of Overlapping Events

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: RECOUNTING SEXUAL ASSAULT

As time went by, Fraser’s Ridge was beginning to grow. A few settlers, some individuals and some families, moved onto the land which led to crops and harvests growing; and more money coming in from rents. Jamie had also started making extra money by starting a whiskey business out of a small still he, Ian, and Murtagh (while he had been there) set up by the river.   
The Ridge was becoming fruitful and successful, and the family of four at the original first cabin could not be happier about it.   
But with over two months having gone by with no major explosions of excitement or surprise interrupting their day to day routines, Skylar began to think that it might just be possible that things may settle down and she and her family could just exist peacefully at their home. But she would find out that she was woefully mistaken. What was about to play out would ignite a string of the most unforeseen and wild events that would change the path of each of their lives in several ways.  
It started a week before when Jamie received a letter from Governor Tryon inviting him and Claire to attend a play with him in Wilmington.  
The idea of being trapped in a room with Tryon for several hours unable to leave was less than appealing, but Jamie was not in a place to refuse. So he wrote back saying that he and Claire would be “more than happy te enjoy a fine evenin’ of theatre wi’ ye.”  
Skylar and Ian were coming along also because they decided to use this as a chance to visit Fergus and Marsali. But they opted to not let them know they were coming and surprise them.  
There was a slight hitch to this plan when Jamie made an announcement. While they were eating dinner one night, he said, “With our whiskey business growin’ and more people wantin’ te purchase some, we’re in need of some new casks te brew and sell it in. I was put in contact with a supplier in Brunswick and he has some available fer us.” He looked at Ian and told him, “I need ye te go temorrow te pick them up.”  
Ian didn’t quite understand the request. “Temorrow? But we’re leavin’ fer Wilmington in just two days.”  
“He _needs_ to go tomorrow? Why can’t it wait until after we’re back?” Skylar inquired.   
“Because this was the time the seller asked fer us te come get them and we canna risk losin’ them,” Jamie answered.  
Skylar was annoyed at this sudden, and slightly unfair, decision. “So, Ian just isn’t coming to Wilmington with us then?”  
“That’s why I said he’s te leave temorrow mornin’. That way he’ll get te Brunswick quick and meet us in Wilmington wi’ the casks.”  
Ian knew he didn’t really have a choice, so he just agreed. “Aye, Uncle Jamie. I’ll leave first thing.”  
Skylar wasn’t done arguing though. “You could’ve told him about this days ago instead of the night before. I think you’re just trying to keep us apart any chance you can get.”  
Jamie let out a low laugh. “Though that isna my intention, I do think a couple days wi’out bein’ stuck te one another could be good fer the both’a ye.”  
That was what he said, but it was definitely part of his plan to get a bit of distance between Ian and Skylar for just a few days at least. More so than ever, they weren’t able to keep their hands from each other and Jamie needed to put an end to it. The last straw was just the day before when he walked into the cabin and saw them both sitting on Skylar’s bed. Even though they weren’t doing anything but sitting together, not even kissing, Jamie all but pulled his gun on Ian.   
He was getting nervous over how physically affectionate they were and needed to come up with something to get Ian out of his daughter’s immediate sight before it was too late and she was ruined. Thus, Ian going to Brunswick while Skylar was in Wilmington.  
“Ye may find that ye can actually survive wi’out holdin’ the other’s hand,” Jamie continued to them.  
Skylar countered with, “Why would we want to do that?” and then Claire changed the subject.  
The next morning, Ian took the wagon and headed for Brunswick, promising Skylar he would do whatever he needed to to get to Wilmington as fast as he could.   
Then the morning after that, the rest of them started on their own journey. Fergus and Marsali had previously written to them and told them that they had moved from The Willow Tree and into another tavern with a more spacious apartment for their now family of three.   
Jamie, Claire and Skylar tied their horses in front of said new tavern and went inside to Fergus and Marsali’s door. When Jamie knocked and Marsali answered, she broke out into a giant grin at seeing them. She ushered them inside and happily hugged each of them.  
“What on Earth are ye all doin’ here?” she exclaimed.  
“Some business with Governor Tryon,” Claire explained. “But we figured we’d add some pleasure to that business and come see you as well.”  
“We thought it would be fun to surprise you,” Skylar followed.  
“And what a wonderful surprise it is!” Marsali responded, still smiling wide.  
Skylar went on with, “Now, it’s been so great seeing you, Marsi, but I’m really just here for my nephew. Where is he?”  
Marsali laughed. “Right in here.” She led them into the living room and to Germain’s crib off to the side.  
Seeing that he was awake, Skylar picked him help and held him to her chest. “Oh, hello there,” she spoke to the baby. “I’ve missed you so much, you handsome little thing.”  
“Is Fergus still at work?” Jamie asked his daughter-in-law.  
“Aye. He should be home soon. He will be so happy te see all’a ye.”  
“He’s still employed by the printer?”  
“He is, though Mr. Gillette treats him more like an errand boy than an assistant.”  
“I have no doubt that Fergus will win him over in no time.”  
“From yer mouth te God’s ears. So, I was just preparin’ te go out te the market te get some vegetables fer a stew. But ye all please stay and make yerselves at home. I willna take long.”  
“I can go for you,” Skylar offered.  
“Oh no, that’s not necessary. Ye stay and be with Germain.”  
“I’d really like to go to the market, if that’s okay. It’ll give Germain a chance to spend time with his grandparents before I hog him for the rest of the time we’re here. Plus, you deserve a break and for us to help you.”  
“Ye really dinna mind?”  
“Not at all.”  
Marsali let show how tired she actually was for a split second as she said, “Thank ye, Skylar. Truly.”  
Skylar handed Germain to Claire and Marsali gave her the money needed for the vegetables she wanted.   
Before she left, Jamie warned her, “Be careful, and come right back here once ye have everythin’.”  
“I’ll be fine, Dad. You can literally see the market from the window.”  
The small vegetable market was barely 100 yards from the tavern, but Skylar took her leisurely time walking there. She really enjoyed seeing all the sights of the people and buildings. This was just another regular day in these people’s lives here in the 1700s. She sometimes had to remind herself that she was from 2019 and hadn’t lived in this time her whole life.  
After she paid for the vegetables on Marsali’s list, she headed back towards the tavern. But she hadn’t made it ten steps from the market before someone bumped into her, causing her to drop her bag and all its contents spilled out.  
“Shit,” she muttered under her breath and bent down to pick them up. The other person did as well to help her.  
“I am so so sorry,” the person said in an unexpected American accent. “I am not coordinated enough to be walking backwards. I was just trying to look around.”  
“It’s okay, really. Just a little mud, it comes right off.”  
When everything was put back in the bag, the two stood up and Skylar got a better look at the person who ran into her. She was a young woman who looked a few years older than her. She was thin like Skylar but a couple inches taller. She had fiery red curls pinned in an up-do and she was very naturally beautiful.   
“I haven’t heard anyone else talk in an accent that isn’t Scottish or English, and like mine. It’s nice to hear something familiar,” the stranger said to her.  
“Yeah, I’ve only met a handful myself.”  
“Do you live here in Wilmington?”  
“No, I’m just here with my parents visiting my brother and his family.”  
“Do you by any chance know how to get to The Willow Tree tavern from here? I left to walk around for just ten minutes and I’m completely turned around.”   
“Yes, you go down this road and make a right at the end, then go past the blacksmith, make another right and you can’t miss it.”  
“You’re a life saver. Thank you so much um…”   
“Skylar,” she told her.  
“Thank you, Skylar. I’m Brianna, by the way.”  
“Nice to meet you, Brianna. I hope you get back safely.”  
“Thank you again.” They smiled kindly at one another and then went in their respective opposite directions.  
When she walked back into the apartment, she saw Marsali preparing a plate of fruits, cheeses and sliced meats.  
“Everythin’ go alright?” Marsali asked her.  
“Someone bumped into me and I dropped the vegetables, so there’s a little mud on some of them.”  
“That’s no matter. I’ll get them clean.”  
Skylar placed the bag on the floor next to Marsali. “Where’s Dad and Claire?”  
“In the bedroom wi’ Germain.”  
Skylar went into the other room and smiled when she saw Jamie holding his grandchild.  
“Welcome back,” Claire greeted her, sitting on the bed.  
“Good to be back.” She held Germain’s hand and let him grip onto her finger. “What time do you need to meet Tryon at the theater?”  
“7:00,” Jamie answered. “Which means we need te get ready soon. Canna embarrass the governor by havin’ his guests show up lookin’ like paupers instead’a princes.”  
“God forbid His Excellency is seen with commoners.”  
Germain started whining and Claire took him from Jamie as she joked, “Germain also finds the idea of mingling with commoners disagreeable.”  
“Well that’s understandable since he is actually a little prince.”  
They looked to the entryway when they heard someone come in, and they saw a surprised, but happy, Fergus.  
“Milady, Milord, I’m so glad you could come for a visit.” He crossed the room to hug Jamie and then hugged Skylar after. “It is so good to see you, ma soeur.”  
“I’ve missed you too, mon frere.”   
When they pulled apart, Fergus did a quick sweep of the room and asked, “Is Ian not with you?”  
“Dad banished him,” Skylar stated.  
Fergus lifted an eyebrow to Jamie, knowing there had to be a story.  
Jamie rolled his eyes at Skylar’s dramatics. “He’ll be along temorrow. He’s gone te Brunswick te fetch casks fer our whiskey.”  
Going off of Skylar’s comment, Fergus concluded, “I take it he did offer to go out of the kindness of his heart.”  
Skylar explained more. “Dad thinks that Ian and I need to distances ourselves from each other for the sake of my far too precious and talked about virtue.”  
Before Jamie and Skylar had another head to head over the matter, Claire spoke up. “The governor has invited us to join him and his wife at the theater.” She was clearly not looking forward to it.  
“ _Summoned_ us to join him,” Jamie corrected.  
“You came all this way for a play?” Fergus questioned.  
“No, we came all this way to see you,” Claire told him.  
“And Germain,” Jamie added.  
“Shall I put him down?” Claire asked Marsali who had come in behind Fergus. The young mother nodded and Skylar kissed his tiny head before Claire put him in his crib that they had brought in from the living room.  
Jamie kept going about their plans for the night, “The governor is eager te introduce me te one of his right-hand men, Mr. Edmund Fanning.”  
“A right-hand man with both his hands dipped in the treasury, or so Murtagh would tell us,” Claire brought up.  
“How else do you expect someone to put up having to be around Tryon so much?”  
Claire chuckled at Skylar’s remark, then turned again to Marsali. “Shall I help you get the rest of lunch?”  
“Yes, please.”  
“I’ll help too,” Skylar joined, and the three walked back into the kitchen.  
Claire sliced bread while Skylar placed in on some plates and arranged another platter.  
“So, how are you all coping, you and Fergus and the baby?” Claire wanted to know.  
“You both seem really happy,” Skylar commented.  
Marsali took in a deep breath and sighed it out, smiling big all the while. “Bein’ a mother te a wee bairn, my heart is so full’a love it’s fit te burst.” Her face dropped a little. “But…”  
That worried Claire some. “Is something the matter?”  
“No. It’s only…wi’ Germain bein’ so precious, I look at him and I ken I’d have a knife through my gut before seein’ him hurt or in sorrow. If anythin’ should ever happen te him…” She didn’t have the words to finish that thought, but her facial reactions to the very idea spoke plenty for her.   
“That’s the hardest thing about being a parent, I’m sure. Though you know you would die trying, you can’t protect them from everyone and everything.”  
 _Is it weird for me to so badly want to feel like that? To have that petrifying fear for my child?_ Skylar thought.   
She hadn’t brought up the subject of a baby to Ian since the last time they saw Fergus and Marsali and he had said he still wanted to wait. But the empty hole she felt from wanting a child was only growing bigger every day, and she didn’t know how much longer she would be able to hide it.   
They all sat in the living room for lunch, just chatting casually and catching each other up on the last few months of their lives. But a couple hours later, Jamie and Claire, begrudgingly, had to leave.   
Once they had been gone for a short time, Marsali said to her husband and sister-in-law, “Ye should go out fer a bit and enjoy yerselves, just the two of ye.”  
“No, Marsi, we could never just leave you here by yourself,” Skylar countered.  
“Te be perfectly honest, I really wouldna mind it a bit.” She said to Fergus, “I love ye, mon mari, with my whole heart. But te just have a quiet evenin’ wi’ just me and Germain would be verra pleasin’.”  
“Are you sure you will be alright on your own for a few hours?” Fergus asked again.  
“Absolutely. Go spend time with yer sister.”   
Fergus smiled and kissed his wife’s cheek. As he and Skylar left the apartment and walked outside, he said to her, “What would you like to do tonight in the bustling city of Wilmington?”  
Skylar chuckled. “How about we go somewhere to sit and have a drink and just talk. I haven’t seen you in so long, mon frere, I just want to _see_ you.”   
“I could not agree more. Now, between you and me, this tavern may cost more to live in, but the alcohol they provide here does not live up to the price.”  
“Okay then, how about your old place, The Willow Tree? Their liquor and food were always very good.”  
“Very well. Allons-y.”   
“Après vous.”  
Fergus offered her his arm and she took it.  
When they walked inside The Willow Tree, they were greeted by large masses of people everywhere they looked. By some miracle, they found an empty table and quickly sat at it.  
“I don’t think we’ll be able to get a waitress’ attention in here,” Fergus guessed.  
“Just go up to the bar. The crowd isn’t too horrendous up there.”  
“I’m not leaving you alone, so come with me.”  
“If we both get up, we will lose this table. So, either you wait here and I’ll go to the bar and be open and available for all the men there to touch and grope me. Or, I’ll stay at the table in my seat where no one can grab my ass.”  
“Fine, I will go. But don’t move. I’ll only be a couple of minutes.”  
“I’ll be here,” Skylar assured him.   
While Fergus went to wait in the large crowd around the bar to get their drinks, Skylar kept glancing over to make sure that he was still insight in case any creepy men came her way that didn’t understand the word “no.” Though she tried to make herself as small as possible so this would not happen, she caught someone’s eye and he approached her.  
She heard his voice before she saw his face and her heart stopped.   
“Well, well, well, fancy runnin’ inte you here of all places.”  
When she looked up, her fears were confirmed. Stephen Bonnet was standing across the table from her, giving her that far too familiar and unsettling smirk. The same chills she felt the first time she saw him rand down her spine, but now ten times as strong.  
He continued, “I never forget a face, you know. Especially one half as beautiful as yours.”  
Skylar didn’t respond. She was too stunned to speak.   
Bonnet pulled out the chair and sat down, leaning in towards her. “From yer expression, I take it you remember me as well.”  
She couldn’t look away from him, but every second that she stared at him, the flashbacks from that night on the riverboat kept playing in her head, and were getting faster and more powerful to the where she thought she was going to pass out. She felt like she wasn’t in her body, like she was watching herself from across the room. She wanted desperately to call out to Fergus and have him get her away from the man barely four feet in front of her, but she couldn’t move. She was frozen, just like when he had her pressed against the boat cabin’s wall.   
She used the little breath that hadn’t been knocked out of her to say, “What are you doing here?”  
“I think the better question would be, what is a lovely lady like you doin’ in a place as lowly as this?” He raised one side of his mouth in a half smile that plenty of other woman likely would find charming, but only made Skylar want to shoot him. “I happen te be here on business. My ship is sailin’ up the coast and this just happens te be one of the ports on the way. And what lucky timing that our landin’ here crosses at the same time as ye.”  
Her heart was going faster than it ever had and she could feel her sporadic breathing going in and out of her nose. But she was trying to appear as calm and collected as possible so he wouldn’t know the power he had over her. She pressed her hands harder into the table so that their shaking wouldn’t show. She knew that if he kept looking at her for another minute she was going to vomit. She needed to get away from him.  
“You need to leave. Now,” she told him.   
He responded, overtly feigning disappointment, “Yer wantin’ te be rid’a me so soon? I was thinkin’ we could finish what we started te last time we saw one another before we were so rudely interrupted.” He reached out and touched her hand, but for less of a second before she pulled away and held her hands securely in her lap. His touch felt like a burn, and she could feel too clearly the burns all over her body and neck from where he touched her last.  
In a firm and assertive tone that surprised herself, she informed him, “My brother is here. If you don’t walk away right now, I’ll scream and he’ll kill you.”  
Bonnet wasn’t put off at all. But in a very condescending voice, he said, “Now, now, darlin’. No need te make any kind of scene. Especially when your brother would be in far more danger than I fer murderin’ someone in cold blood wi’ no reason other than talkin’ to a pretty lass.” She held her unwavering glare on him until he said, “I will take me leave of you. Besides, I have a feelin’ this is not the last time we’ll be meetin’ in this lifetime.” He stood up, winked at her, then disappeared into the crowd.   
When he was out of sight, Skylar was able to let out the breath she had been holding since he first spoke. She took one in as well, but needed to remind herself to let it out.   
She still couldn’t process what had just happened. It felt like a distant fever dream or that she had imagined it. Her body was ice cold and she could tell she was about to be sick. She had to find Fergus and get out of there.   
Not remembering standing or walking, she suddenly found herself next to him.   
“Fergus,” she said to him.  
He turned to her and his face dropped immediately when he could tell something was very wrong.   
“Are you alright? What’s happened?” he asked.   
She couldn’t get the words out. She kept opening her mouth to speak, and then closing it. She was breathing way too fast and was looking all around the room to see if Bonnet was still there and watching her. But it was hard for her to see because everything seemed blurry and in slow motion.   
It made Fergus horribly nervous and scared seeing her like this. She was pale and sweating and her whole body was visibly shaking.   
He held her arms to get her to look at him, which made her flinch badly as a reaction. “Skylar, what happened? Tell me.”  
She finally found control of her voice and said, “I need…go. I need t-to go.”  
“Then let’s leave.” He took her hand and placed his wooden one on her back to guide her and keep her close.   
Crossing the room to the door felt like it took a year. As they went, Skylar felt as though Bonnet’s gaze was burning into her. But she couldn’t tell if that was real or her paranoid imagination.   
They second they got outside, Skylar ran to the nearest alley and threw up. She felt Fergus soothingly rub her back, but she didn’t acknowledge him. Her mind was too busy focusing on the last five minutes and forcing herself to not faint.   
When her stomach was empty, she sat on the ground with her back against the wall. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, counting _1, 2, 3_ as she inhaled in through her nose and out through her mouth. She planted her hands flat on the ground and dug at the dirt to feel it and bring herself back to the present. It was April 1768. She was in the town of Wilmington. She was not on the riverboat in July 1767.   
Fergus sat next to her and watched as she calmed herself down. He had only seen her in such a panic once when they were on the Artemis. It terrified him then and it terrified him now. His instincts told him it was best to not touch her or talk to her until she was fully down. So he waited.  
When her heartrate and breathing returned to normal and she felt like she wasn’t spinning, she opened her eyes and stared forward. She took a few more regular breaths. Her nerves were still on edge and her anxiety was sky high, but the panic had passed.   
After waiting a couple extra minutes to make sure she was really okay, Fergus said gently, “Do you want to tell me what happened? What set that off?”  
She was nervous to tell him. Not just about having to relive it through telling details, but she was afraid he’d be mad at her for keeping this from him. But there was no other way to explain what had just happened except with the truth.   
When she was ready, she recounted it slowly. “After you left the table, a man approached me.” She didn’t have to look at him to know he had sat up straighter and had an energy of “ready to attack” if need be.   
“What did he say to you? Did he hurt you? Who was he?”  
“Um…it was…he…it was Stephen Bonnet.”  
“That’s the man who robbed you all on the river, correct?” He started to sound more concerned.  
“Yes. But that night, the robbery…that wasn’t all he did.”  
“What do you mean?”  
She swallowed hard and could feel the tears coming from just remembering it. Every detail was so clear in her head it was as if it just happened.   
“He-” her voice cracked as she started. She cleared her throat to try to help. She licked her lips and sniffed, holding back all the emotion bursting at her seams like she had before. She tried again, “He, um…he-he tried to rape me. He didn’t because somehow I pushed him off. But h…” She paused to collect her thoughts. She closed her eyes again and allowed a couple tears to fall down her face. Her voice was shaky as she went on, “He pushed me against the wall and ripped open my dress. He was grabbing me and touching me and kissing me all over and…and it took me so long to not see his face whenever I closed my eyes and to stop checking to see if the bruises on my neck and chest were still there even when they were long gone. It had been so long since I had a nightmare about him. I thought I was done. I thought I was never going to see him again. And then, there he is in front of me, like he knew I was doing okay and moving past it and he needed to just make me feel everything all over again.” She had started to fully cry while telling the story, so she took a moment to catch her breath. “I’m sorry that that all came out like that. But seeing him just now…I thought I was done.”  
After a period where Fergus hadn’t said anything in response, Skylar turned to look at him and his face looked murderous.   
With his voice very low and through gritted teeth, he only asked, “Where is he?” He stood up and started back to the tavern with dangerous intent.   
Skylar scrambled up and chased after him. “Fergus, Fergus! Wait!” She pulled him back before he could go inside.   
“Where is he?” he repeated with venom in his voice. “Point him out to me. Which one is he? I’ll kill him. I’ll kill him right now with my one bare hand.” He went once more for the door, but Skylar stopped him again.  
“Fergus, no! You can’t do anything to him.”  
“This son of a bitch bastard violates my sister and gets away with it? Not while I am breathing. And once I find him, _he_ will not be. I’m going to kill him.” He turned to move, but she stood in front of him to block him.  
“If you hurt him, it’s only you that will be in trouble. You’ll be put in jail or worse, and you have Marsali and Germain to think about. You can’t leave them alone. If something happens to you, something happens to them. They need you.” She saw that realization hit him and his face and body relaxed just slightly. “Believe me, I want him dead in the worst way and I would do it myself if I could. Stephen Bonnet will get what’s coming to him one way or another, I can promise you that. But not by you.”  
After a beat, he asked, “How did this happen? Where were Milord and Ian? Why were they not with you?”  
“They were asleep, remember? He boarded us in the middle of the night. I was stupid and reckless and irresponsible and dumb and went outside in the dark by myself, and that was where he found me. Dad and Ian still fell gut-wrenchingly guilty about it to this day. Dad was so destroyed by his guilt that it almost ruined our relationship. That’s why I didn’t tell you about it. I didn’t want to risk anything like that happening with us.”  
Full of brotherly love, he asked with total sincerity, “Are you alright, ma soeur?” He asked not only in relation to the assault itself, but also being face to face with Bonnet so suddenly that night.   
“I think so,” she answered. “This, seeing him tonight, I know it set me back. But I don’t have to start all over with getting better. Hopefully soon I’ll be back to the place I was in an hour ago.” She let out a dry laugh.  
She could see on his face the guilt he too felt for not being able to have been there and protect his little sister, and still not being able to do anything about it now. She just gave him a small smile and hugged him. She felt him hold her tight and she waited for him to be the first to pull away.   
When he did, she let out a breath and said, needing to move on from this moment, “So, I am now much more hungry than I was when we first came out. Can we please go somewhere else to get dinner?”  
Fergus gave her a small smile back. “Of course.” He took her hand and they went to another pub a good distance away from The Willow Tree.   
They stayed out for a couple hours. They were greatly enjoying this time with just them and wanted to make it last as long as they could. Skylar was still very jumpy and on high alert, but she put Stephen Bonnet as much in the back of her head as possible to try and relax and have fun with her brother.  
She did convince him to not say anything to Jamie or anyone about seeing Bonnet. He fought hard against that, but Skylar just reiterated what she had said before. If any of them hurt Bonnet, they would likely be in more trouble than him and they should not risk that; especially with the still relatively new land from Governor Tryon at stake. Fergus reluctantly agreed.   
When they did have to walk back, she held tight onto Fergus’s hand and stayed pressed against his side. Her eyes darted around in the dark streets, scared that any person they passed may be Bonnet. She was able to breathe easy when they at last walked into Fergus and Marsali’s apartment.   
Marsali looked up when she heard the door open and close. She had put the kettle over the fire in the fireplace to, more than likely, boil water for tea. “There ye two are. We were wonderin’ when ye would find yer way home.”  
“We? Are Dad and Claire back already?” Skylar wondered.   
“No. But someone else arrived while ye were gone.” She beckoned her head to the dining room, meaning for Skylar to go in.   
Skylar followed the direction and went to the other room. Her face lit up when she saw Ian sitting at the table eating something Marsali had given him.  
“Ian!” she exclaimed with such genuine happiness.   
Ian’s smile took up his entire face as he saw her and stood up.  
She ran and collided into him, hugging him with all the strength she could muster. He returned it just as strong and kept one had on the back of her head to stroke her hair.   
After being re-traumatized after seeing Bonnet, being in Ian’s arms was the more than perfect way for her to feel safe again.   
They pulled apart to look at each other for a moment, then shared a long and sweet kiss.  
“God, I missed you, Youngin’,” she told him, holding his face.  
“I thought of ye every minute I was away,” he replied.  
“I thought you weren’t supposed to be back until sometime tomorrow.”  
“I made sure everything went as fast as it could and then came straight here. I couldna stand not bein’ next te ye anymore.”  
She couldn’t help but kiss him again. They had been apart so many times in the last few months and she hoped that it would now be a long time before they were separated again.   
“Are ye alright, Yank?” he asked. He could tell something was off with her, but she didn’t want to bring up what had happened and start everything up again. She was so happy in this moment and she didn’t want anything to ruin that.  
So she just told him, honestly, “I am. I really really am.”  
Once Germain was down for the night, the two couples gathered in the living room, just chatting as they waited for Jamie and Claire to get back. While Fergus and Marsali sat in separate chairs and casually held hands between them, Skylar and Ian were trying to morph into one person. They were both on the small couch and Skylar was hugging her arms around his waist and her head leaning on his shoulder. Ian wrapped an arm around her to keep her as close to him as he physically could.   
Fergus couldn’t keep from laughing a little at them. “Sky, you said Milord had sent Ian to Brunswick to try to put some distance between you two. But it seems that plan has backfired.”  
Skylar giggled. “Yeah, he’ll never understand that the more he pulls us apart, the harder we come right back together.” She tightened her grip on him to further her point.   
Their heads all snapped to the door when it suddenly opened and Jamie came running in. Everyone stood right up, sensing his urgency.   
“Fergus,” he said, “I need ye te do somethin’ fer me.”  
“Anything, Milord,” Fergus replied, crossing to the man.  
“Governor Tryon has set a trap for Murtagh and the Regulators. A spy in their camp told Tryon about their plan to rob a carriage carrying tax money. Tryon planted Redcoats in the carriage and they’re going to arrest all of them.” He grabbed Fergus’ arms. “Mon fils, ye need te ride out te where the Regulators are stationed. Find Murtagh and warn him.”  
“Aye, Milord. I will leave this instant.”  
“They’re encamped along the road te New Bern. Make all haste.” With just a single nod, Fergus was gone.   
Jamie turned back to the now group of three all still staring at him. “I apologize fer scarin’ ye wi’ that bit’a excitement. But I must hurry te get back te the theatre.”  
“Where’s Claire? Is she okay?” Skylar asked.   
“Aye, she’s fine. She’s helpin’ keep Tryon occupied while this all plays out. We’ll explain everythin’ when we return tenight. But now, I must get back before I’m missed.”  
“Be careful.”  
Jamie smiled at her comfortingly. “Nothin’ will happen te me, I promise ye.” Without another word, he too left and closed the door behind him.   
The three stood still in a stunned silence at what had occurred in just 30 seconds.   
Marsali went over to Germain’s crib and peered in. “Jesus, I canna believe that commotion didna wake him.” She stoked her son’s head and went for the kitchen, “If anythin’ happens te Fergus on this mission he’s been sent on, I’ll have Jamie’s head te pay fer it, I swear te God.”  
Skylar flinched a little when she felt Ian’s hands on her. “Yer shakin’, Yank. Are ye sure yer alright?”  
She still was not past the full body shock of seeing Bonnet earlier that night. So when Jamie all but bust the door down, she had nearly jumped out of her skin from a moment of involuntary panic. She relaxed when she saw it was Jamie, but the sudden spike in her anxiety made her nerves unable to settle.   
_Am I just gonna be on edge for the rest of my life?_ she thought. _Why did he have to be here? Why did he have to see me? Why couldn’t I just forget him?_  
But she still only told Ian, “I’m fine. Really. I’m just…also worried about Fergus.” She sat back down and Ian did as well. He took her hand and kissed it, then held it on his knee.   
“Fergus will be fine, I’m sure of it,” Marsali commented as she walked back in. She handed Skylar and Ian cups with whiskey in them, having decided that they were all now in need of something stronger than just tea. She got her own drink and sat again in the chair across from them. “He was a pick pocket, ye remember. He kens better than most how te be discrete and unseen when he needs te be.”  
Skylar nodded and took a sip of her drink. She let it sit in her mouth to relish the taste and enjoyed the good burn of the alcohol when she did swallow it.   
To distract herself, she thought, God, when did I become able to drink whiskey so easily? I used to not be able to stomach it for the longest time.   
She remembered back to one of her first few days in the 18th Century when Fergus had taken her to a pub in Edinburgh. She had been so concerned with drinking ages and just one sip made her choke. It was funny to think back on and how much she had changed since then. She let the comfort of the memory envelop her to bring her back to a calm state.   
None of them felt like they could attempt to sleep until they received word of Murtagh, Fergus, and Jamie and Claire. They didn’t move from their seats and just sat quiet while they watched the clock tick.   
It was well past 11:00pm when Fergus got back.   
Marsali leapt to her feet and sprinted to him to hug him. “Thank Christ,” she mumbled.   
“Did ye reach Murtagh in time?” Ian asked as Fergus and Marsali came back into the living room.  
“Aye. He is safe. He is headed for Fraser’s Ridge as we speak. Have Milord and Milady returned yet?”  
“Not yet,” Skylar told him. “They’re probably still covering their tracks with Tryon. All we can do now is wait. My favorite thing to do.” She crossed her arms and leaned back against the couch.  
“I’m sure they will not be much longer. They know what they’re doing.”  
While they continued to wait, Skylar’s leg wouldn’t stop bouncing and her fingers were anxiously tapping on Ian’s knee. She couldn’t move her eyes from the door and felt her breath get caught in her throat when it opened again and Claire walked in. She was glad to see Claire safe, but seeing her alone made her stomach hurt.  
The first thing Claire said, before she had finished closing the door, was, “Is Jamie here?”  
“He has not come back yet,” Fergus answered.  
She walked further into the room. “He’s likely still with Tryon then. When word reached that his plan for the Regulators fell through, he was furious. He called for Jamie and another of his men and they left.” She looked at Fergus. “But I take it that everything went well with warning Murtagh?”  
“Yes, Milady. As I told them, he is bound for Fraser’s Ridge to stay out of sight for a while.”  
“Good, good. He’ll be safe there.”  
Ian then remembered something. “When Uncle Jamie came to find Fergus, he told us of a diversion ye were leadin’. What was it?”   
“Tryon’s right hand man had an injury that required me to do emergency surgery. Jamie came up with the plan in the moment and it was a good thing he did. Not just to distract Tryon, but this man would have died had I not operated. I made sure he got home and I told his wife I would look in on him tomorrow before we leave.”  
When it got to be closer to midnight, Jamie finally returned. He didn’t speak right away. He just looked at Fergus for confirmation.   
Fergus nodded. “Murtagh is safe.”  
Skylar saw Jamie’s body de-tense and he let out a breath of relief. He crossed behind Fergus’ chair and patted his shoulders. “Good man.”  
“Does Tryon suspect anything?” Claire asked.  
Jamie shook his head. “No. His man Mr. Frohock said he saw Colonel Washington and his wife leaving in their carriage when he went to find another surgeon. So Tryon suspects him of warning the Regulators.”  
Skylar’s ears perked up at one of the names Jamie had so casually mentioned. “Um, I’m-I’m sorry. Who?”  
Claire smiled knowingly at her and repeated, “Colonel George Washington.”  
“Ah, okay.” She was trying hard to stay cool and nonconspicuous. But inside, she was majorly freaking out that the future first President of the United States was somewhere in the same town as her. The song “Right Hand Man” from Hamilton played in her head as everyone continued talking.  
It was difficult for Skylar to fall asleep that night. She would try, but she would always be very quickly woken up by Stephen Bonnet’s face flashing in her mind. She was a little bit scared to sleep out of fear she would have another nightmare about her assault.   
She kept tossing and turning with no luck at getting comfortable. But at one point when she had turned onto her side, she came face to face with Ian who was sound asleep. His face was totally relaxed and his mouth was just the slightest bit open. She watched him sleep for a few minutes and eventually found she was getting more and more calm.   
He made her always feel so happy, loved and safe, like nothing could ever hurt her as long as she was with him. She often wondered if he was the reason that she was able to hear the stones at Craigh na Dun. If some force was pulling her to him and the stones were calling her to come find him. Even if that wasn’t true, she still thanked God and the universe every day for bringing her to him.   
She didn’t feel as scared to sleep now and wanted to try again. She carefully lifted his arm and put it around her stomach so that he could hold her as she pressed her back against him. She heard him wake up for just a moment when he sighed and tightened his grip around her. She smiled, finally feeling at peace for the first time that night. She closed her eyes and fell asleep fantasizing about their future. 

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The next morning, Jamie and Fergus went out to see about a boat that would transport the whiskey casks Ian brought down the river to Fraser’s Ridge while they used the wagon to bring back supplies they had needed to fill up on in town.   
While they were gone, Claire went to check in on her patient from the previous night, and Marsali was packing a rather large bag of food for them to bring back with them. Skylar tried to tell her that for such a short journey there was no need, but Marsali wouldn’t hear it.   
“Well, if it gives me a chance to hold my nephew while you do this, who am I to argue?” she gave in.  
So, she sat on the couch, cradling the tiny Germain. Even though he was not her child, she loved him the same amount as if he was.   
She watched him sleep in her arms and imagined the day when she would be holding her and Ian’s child. She was quietly humming Lavender’s Blue to him, but stopped when she looked up and saw Ian staring at her from the chair across from her.   
“What?” she asked him.   
“Ye look so natural and beautiful holdin’ a bairn. I could watch ye hold him all day.” She smiled at him in response. “I remember thinkin’ the same thing when I saw ye wi’ Benjamin back at Lallybroch.”  
“You remember that?”  
“Of course I do. That was when I heard ye singing the Lavender song fer the first time, and when I realized that I couldna live wi’out ye.” She felt her cheeks go a little red at his comment and the butterflies came back.   
He moved to sit next to her and smiled down at the baby, gently stroking his cheek with his finger.   
“We could have our own, ye ken,” he said suddenly.  
Skylar’s eyebrows shot up and she turned her head to him. “Our own what? Child?” She wanted to hear him actually say the words, but his eyes only flickered from Germain to Skylar and back down; which was confirmation enough for her. “I believe I remember you saying you wanted to wait quite a while longer on marriage and children.”  
He gave a small shrug. “I wanted us te be able te have adventure and excitement in our lives before we settled down. But wi’ all that we’ve been through the last few months alone, not even mentionin’ the last near two years, we’ve had plenty of that already. And I want so bad te be able to officially call ye mine.” Skylar’s mouth went dry and her stomach was in a huge knot as she was wondering if this was going to end in a proposal. But he unknowingly answered that question, saying, “I’m no propsoin’ te ye right now in this moment. But, if yer wantin’ te, we can start seriously talkin’ about it.”  
 _God, I would say yes if you asked me right here and now_ , she wanted to say.   
But she didn’t want to freak him out with being over eager and instead said, “I want to. I’d like that very much.”  
They stared at each other, both fighting back outrageous idiotic smiles. Skylar’s heart was going a mile a minute, but for a good reason this time. Excited and happy were understatements at how she felt knowing that much sooner than rather than the expected later, she would finally be married to the love of her life.  
Ian kissed her deeply to show her how happy he was as well. He didn’t pull back too far from her so that he could whisper in her ear, “If we’re gonna be wantin’ te have our own bairn once we’re wed, it wouldna hurt te practice what we need te do te make one, no?”  
Skylar’s whole body got warm and tingly when he said that. She faced him again and they were centimeters apart. She looked down at his lips then back to his eyes.  
“Careful, Youngin’,” she whispered back. “If you talk about that within 10 miles of Dad, he will hear and make it so you can never have children.”  
“The risk is worth it.” He closed the small space between them to kiss her again, more passionately this time. But they were reminded of the third person in the room when Germain started to whine and they quickly broke apart.  
“What’s wrong, my love?” Skylar said to the infant, putting him on her shoulder and rubbing his back. “Were you not getting enough attention?”  
“He is quite an attention hog,” Marsali commented as she came into the room. Skylar handed Germain back to his mother. She bounced with him as she went on, “If the whole room isna focused directly on him, he throws a fit.”  
“That’ll be fun when he gets older,” Skylar chuckled.   
“What do ye mean older? No, he’ll be stayin’ this little ferever. I willna allow him te grow up.”  
The door opened and Jamie and Fergus came inside.   
“Did ye find a boat?” Ian asked.  
“Aye,” Jamie said. “The Sally Ann.”  
The joyful butterflies in her stomach vanished and a painful pressure in her chest replaced it.   
“The Sally Ann?” she repeated.   
Jamie saw her sudden shift and his guilt seeped back in. “Twas the only one available te go the distance on this day.”  
The Sally Ann was the boat they had ridden on when Bonnet attacked them.  
 _Jesus Christ. Did he fucking plan this somehow? I’m never going to escape him._  
“Okay,” she made herself say and forced the anxiety down. “Then that’s that. What do we need to do now?”  
Jamie knew Skylar was only pretending and it pained him that they had no other choice. “We now need te get the casks loaded onte the boat. I came back te get Ian te help wi’ that.” Ian gave a nod and stood up to go with his uncle.  
“He and I can go on our own,” Skylar offered.   
“Yank, ye dinna need te go te the boat before we have te. Uncle Jamie and I will be fine,” Ian told her.  
“I know. But I want to. Get the worst part over with and see it.” The three men standing in front of her seemed unsure about this plan. “Please? I’m gonna have to ride on it soon enough, so this will only help.”  
“Verra well,” Jamie relented. “Go now so ye can hurry back.” She got up and took Ian’s hand. They walked out the door, Skylar feeling her father and brother’s worried faces in her direction.   
As Ian drove the wagon to the dock, Skylar closed her eyes and took slow breaths in and out.   
_He is not there_ , she kept telling herself. _He is not on the boat. He can’t hurt you._  
But knowing that he was somewhere in the town currently didn’t help her to believe her affirmations.   
When they got to the dock, Skylar could see the Sally Ann tied in place. She stared at it.  
“Skylar?” Ian’s voice brought her out of the trance. She looked to him and saw he was standing on the ground.   
“I’m gonna wait here. You go on.”  
“I can get some more sailors te load and I can sit wi’ ye while we wait.”  
“It’s okay. Really. I just want to look at it by myself for a bit.”  
Ian didn’t like it, but if that’s what she wanted, he’d let her do it.   
Skylar didn’t notice Ian and the sailors transporting the casks from the wagon to the boat. The world turned fuzzy and only the boat was in focus. She didn’t feel any better seeing it. She was only getting more nervous to be on it later.   
_I’m fine. I’m fine. He doesn’t get to control me like this._   
She jumped when Ian climbed back onto the seat.   
“You’re done?” she asked.  
“Aye. Are ye alright?”  
She only said a small, “Yeah,” in reply.   
He didn’t ask her anymore and flicked the reins to get the horses to move. She didn’t look back as they rode away. She would see it again very soon.  
Ian parked the wagon in front of Fergus and Marsali’s cabin. When he helped Skylar down, she said to him, “I’m feeling a little bit hungry. Do you wanna come with me to the market? It’s just a little ways down.” She knew that there was a bag of food upstairs for them from Marsali, but she wanted to use this as an excuse to walk around and clear her head.  
“A’course.” He took her hand and they went to a nearby fruit stand.  
Skylar picked out a couple apples, peaches and strawberries. While the seller bagged them up, Ian said to her, “What would ye think of namin’ our son Ian?”  
She knew he was asking that as a distraction for her, but she still laughed. “We just started talking about kids not even an hour ago and you’re already thinking of names? And I’m not so sure about naming him Ian.”  
“Why not? Tis a good strong name.”  
“I’m not saying it’s not. I love it for you and your father, but there are already two Ian Murrays in the world and one of them is already a Young Ian. What would we call this one, Young Ian Junior? We don’t even know if our first child would be a boy. Could be a girl.”  
“So, Janet then. Fer me Ma and sister.”  
Skylar let out a breathy laugh and rolled her eyes. “I love you so much, Youngin’, but I swear, I could strangle you sometimes.”  
He grabbed her hips and pulled her into him. “And that’s how ye ken it’s true love.”  
“I can’t disagree there.” She put her hands against his chest and smiled up at him.   
“Are ye alright, Miss?” a voice came through. Skylar and Ian looked to who had spoken and saw some random young man standing there.   
“I’m sorry?” Skylar said, very confused. Ian let go of her and they faced the stranger.  
“Is this bawbag botherin’ ye?” he asked, meaning Ian. “I saw him grab ye and I wanted te make sure he’s leavin’ ye alone.” He looked Ian up and down, making it clear that he was ready to fight if need be. Ian just looked very nervous.  
“No, he’s not bothering me,” she told him with a very annoyed tone.  
“It’s no safe fer a bonny lass like yerself te be alone wi’out yer man te protect ye from worms like him who canna take no fer an answer.”  
“This ‘worm,’ as you so nicely put it, is my man.” She took Ian’s hand and held it tight. “And if you saw him touch me, then you should’ve also seen that I was happy about it.”  
The guy looked between them, then started laughing. “Yer jokin’, right?”  
“Excuse me?”  
“Ye canna be serious. There’s no way in hell this pale, homely string bean is who ye’ve chosen fer yerself. What could a lady like ye possibly see in him, unless it’s out of pity?”  
Skylar was fuming at his totally uncalled for and unwanted opinion, but she kept her voice calm as she responded back with, “Listen, I don’t know who you are or why you think I am any of your business. But I highly suggest walking away now before I ruin your reputation and dignity by beating your ass to the ground in front of all these people.”  
The random jerk glanced at Ian again, who hadn’t said a word during the exchange, and scoffed. “Not even a man enough that his lass has te defend his honor.” He walked away, Skylar glaring at him as he left her sight.   
“What the fuck is wrong with people?” she thought out loud. “They just have to stick their noses where they don’t belong.”  
Ian’s voice was very small as he replied, “It’s fine, Yank. Let’s go find Uncle Jamie.”  
Skylar watched him as he picked up their bag and walked off, her close behind him.   
As they walked silently, she saw his face was void of any emotion and the brightness of his eyes had dimmed to almost nothing. She could tell the idiot’s words had affected him.   
“Please, Ian. Do not pay any attention to that asshole. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”  
“He does though.”  
“What do you mean by that?”  
“Come off it, Skylar. We’re both foolin’ ourselves if we think I’m anythin’ much te look at. I’m far too skinny fer my absurdly height that my arms and legs may as well be straws of hay. I dinna have any of the strikin’ features that Uncle Jamie or my father have, and I’m so pale that I look sickly. From the first time ye said ye loved me, I’ve never understood why ye would want me, and I never will. There are so many other men who are far more handsome, strong and manlier than me that ye can have yer pick from. I didna tell ye how I felt fer ye fer so long because I ken I’m no deservin’ of ye, and this just proved me right and that others ken it too.”  
Every word he said was a punch in her gut. It broke her heart hearing him talk about himself like that.  
“Ian.” She took his hand and stopped them from moving forward. “Do you really feel like that?”  
He looked down and away from her, embarrassed at how much he had let out.  
“Never mind. It doesna matter. I shouldna have said anythin’.” He pulled his hand from her and started on, but she caught him again.   
“It does matter. Come here.” She pulled him close and put her hands on his face. He gently pushed them off and looked down again. “Ian.” She put her hands back on him. “Can you look at me? Please, look at me.” He slowly raised his gaze to hers. “You know that not a word of what you just said is true. You are more than deserving of me. You’re too good for me, in fact. You are so beautiful, Ian Murray. I know that men don’t like being called that, but you are. God, your smile alone could turn a rainy sky blue again. But even if you weren’t, even if you were the sickly piece of straw you think you are, I would still be madly deeply wholly completely in love with you.” She put her hands on his chest. “Your soul is so light and pure and beautiful as well. You are perfect, and I wouldn’t change any little slight thing about you ever. Please, please do not be mean and cruel to the man I love. Because if you insult him, you insult me. And you would never want to hurt me like that, right?”  
“Never,” he answered very faint.  
“Then please be kind to yourself and know that I will only ever want you for as long as we both shall live.” She pulled his face to hers and kissed him. “‘For as long as we both shall live.’ I can’t wait to stand with you in front of a priest and say that again in front of all of our friends and family.”  
He gave a small smile and kissed her in return.   
“We should find Uncle Jamie before he thinks we ran off,” he said. He took her hand again and they continued on.  
They found Jamie and Claire standing outside the tavern. But when they reached them, Skylar saw they were not alone and she recognized the person in between them. “Brianna?”  
The red haired woman was just as surprised to see the other girl again. “Skylar. Omigod.”  
“Have you two met before?” Claire asked, phrasing it slowly out of total confusion.   
“Yeah. We, um, kinda collided yesterday in the street,” Skylar explained.  
“She helped me find my way back to The Willow Tree,” Brianna followed.  
“I-I’m sorry, but how do you know them?” Skylar looked between Jamie and Claire and back to Brianna.  
“She is…” Jamie started, but then looked at his wife to see if it was okay to tell the truth.  
“Our daughter,” Claire finished.   
Skylar’s mouth dropped open. “Your…daughter?” When the realization hit her, she said, sort of to herself, “Oh you’re…Brianna.”  
Looking at her now, Skylar could see so many physical similarities between the young woman and the two adults that she never picked up on the day before.  
 _Omigod, she’s_ the _Brianna. How is she here? She’s a time traveler too? Omigod…holy shit! what?!_  
Jamie told Ian that she was his cousin, and Ian was the most surprised out of all of them since he was the only one who didn’t know Brianna existed. But he was extremely happy to meet her.  
Claire spoke again. “I know it’s a surprise. But we’ll explain it all later.” Her smile went from ear to ear and she couldn’t take her eyes off Brianna.  
“When it comes te ye, Auntie Claire, I’ve learned it’s better not te ask too many questions,” Ian replied, which also helped answer Skylar’s question of how the hell were they going to explain this. “Well then, welcome, cousin.” He bowed his head to her.  
“Thank you. It’s very nice to meet you, um…” She looked to her mother for his name.   
“Oh, I’m so sorry. My name is Ian. Ian Murray.”  
“It’s very nice to meet you, Ian.” She looked back at Skylar. “And how is it you know Jamie and my mother? Did your family settle on Fraser’s Ridge?”  
“No, um, I actually, uh…” She didn’t know how to explain to Jamie’s real daughter that she was his adopted daughter. But luckily, she was saved when Jamie cut her off.  
“I’m afraid we must save everyone’s questions fer a bit later. We need te start fer home.” He looked to Ian and Skylar to ask, “Is everythin’ ready and aboard the Sally Ann?”  
Skylar told him, “Yes, Dad. Ian and some sailors took care of it.”  
“Dad?” Brianna repeated. “When you said yesterday that you were here with your parents, did you…did you mean Mama and Jamie?” She was clearly so beyond confused, and Skylar, Claire and Jamie knew there was a lot to go over.  
Claire put her arm around her daughter and held her hand as she said to her, “We’ll tell you everything once we’re on the boat. Now, what was your maid’s name?”  
“Lizzie.”  
“Right. Where is she?”  
“In our room, packing our things.”  
“Why don’t we go find her and bring everythin’ down te the wagon,” Jamie suggested.   
As they followed Brianna into The Willow Tree, Skylar’s eyes scoured the room, praying that Bonnet wasn’t still in there. She squeezed her hand that wasn’t holding Ian’s into a tight fist as they crossed the room and went up the stairs.   
When they walked into the small bedroom, they found a girl who Skylar figured was Lizzie. She was as tall as Brianna but was definitely younger than her, and maybe even a year or two younger than Skylar. She was thin and pale but pretty, and she was wearing a bonnet so Skylar couldn’t see her hair color. She had just finished closing a bag when she saw the group come in.  
Brianna spoke to her. “Lizzie, I’d like you to meet my mother, Claire, and my father, Jamie.”  
Lizzie curtsied and said, in a Scottish accent, “It’s such a pleasure te make yer acquaintances at last. My mistress has only spoken of ye since we boarded the ship in Scotland and I am so glad that ye’ve finally been reunited.”  
“Thank you, Lizzie, for taking care of our daughter on the long journey over here,” Claire said to her.  
“Tis nothin’. She is a verra kind and fair mistress.” Her eyes then landed on Ian and Skylar. “Forgive me, but I’m afraid we have not been introduced.”  
“Ian, miss. Wonderful te meet ye.” He gave her a kind smile and nodded at her.  
Skylar saw her blush and smile shyly back at him as she curtsied. She could tell Lizzie found Ian attractive and a massive wave of jealousy washed over her.   
_Oh, absolutely the fuck not._  
She let go of Ian’s hand to curtsey in greeting to Lizzie. “I’m Skylar. Ian and I are courting.” She tried to make sure none of the jealousy came through her voice and was rather just giving information.   
She put her hands on Ian’s shoulder and he put his arm around her waist, not knowing that him doing that very normal action helped Skylar show off their relationship to Lizzie.  
Lizzie gave a small smile to hide the disappointment seeing Ian was taken, but curtsied as well. “Pleased te meet ye, Miss Skylar.”  
“You as well, and you can just call me Skylar.”  
Skylar didn’t want to have any problems or bad feelings towards this girl she had known for all of a minute. But the jealousy was overpowering.  
 _So long as she doesn’t make any moves on him, we’ll be fine._


	44. Internal Conflict

When they said goodbye to Fergus and Marsali, Claire advised Brianna to wait downstairs as not to dumbfound the two with the sudden appearance of her and Jamie’s daughter and no explanation yet on how she got here. But Jamie and Claire highly suggested they come visit sometime soon, certain they would know what to say by then. The now group of six then headed to the Sally Ann to sail home.   
Skylar stood on the dock by herself while the others got situated on the boat. Seeing it earlier in the day had not helped the way she wanted it to. She found it was still horribly difficult to set foot on it. She was in a trance staring at the wall Stephen Bonnet had her pinned against as he attempted to have his way with her. Pictures in her mind kept flashing between her assault and seeing him last night at record speed. But she was brought out of the trance by a hand on her shoulder. She looked to who it belonged to and saw it was Jamie.   
“Ye ken yer more than welcome te ride back home wi’ me in the wagon,” he offered. “I’d be verra glad’a the company.” Jamie had volunteered to be the one to drive the wagon with their belongings and horses and would meet the boat in Cross Creek to collect his family and ride the rest of the way with them.   
Skylar had considered it before but ultimately declined the offer. “No, I need to do this. I need to show him that he can’t control the rest of my life.”  
“You are far braver than many could ever hope te be, mo nighean.” He gave a long kiss to her head and touched her face tenderly, then went onto the boat to see Claire and Brianna before he left.  
Skylar took a large breath in and hesitated letting it out. She was trying to get her feet to move, but they were stuck in place. Ian came out of the cabin and saw her standing there. He went to her and said, holding out his hand, “Will ye give me the honor of helpin’ the fair maiden aboard her grand ship?” Looking into his bright eyes and seeing his contagious smile just for her helped to settle her anxiety and she gave a very small smile back. “Or would ye rather I carry ye across this makeshift threshold as practice fer the real one?” That made her smile grow into almost a full one. She took his still outreached hand and she made it onto the deck.   
In the few seconds that she was on the boat, she got significantly paler. He could feel her hand that he was still holding start to shake and her eyes were darting around like she was looking for signs Bonnet was there. He pulled her into him and lifted her chin up to look at him. He placed her hand on his chest and put his own on top.  
He spoke quiet enough so that only she could hear him. “Feel me heart, Yank. Just focus on it’s beatin’. Don’t look around. Look nowhere but in me eyes, aye? Ye and I are the only people in the world. It’s only us.”  
They stood in silence for many minutes, just looking at each other. Skylar hardly blinked. She pressed her hand harder into his chest to feel each _beat, beat, beat,_ and felt soothed by the steady rhythm.   
Feeling more calm, she closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder, nuzzling her nose against his neck.   
“I love you,” was all she could think to say to him.  
“There are no words that could do justice fer how I feel fer you.” He brushed his fingers through her hair and Skylar was sure she could have fallen asleep right there if she wanted to. But she was woken up by Jamie coming to them, saying how he would meet them soon. Once he was off the boat, Captain Freeman signaled to Eutroclus to start moving.   
Skylar and Ian stayed in the same spot and just watched the water in front of them. But after a little bit of time, Skylar decided she wanted to go inside for a while. Ian put his arm around her waist and led her to the door. They walked past Lizzie who, unnoticed by them, had been standing a few yards away from them, constantly making quick glances at the two; or just at Ian, in actuality.   
They had barely passed through the doorway when Skylar stopped short. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude.” Claire and Brianna were sitting on one of the beds attached to the wall and looked like they had been talking.  
“Oh no, dear, you’re not intruding at all,” Claire assured her.   
“I was just coming in to…i-it doesn’t-it doesn’t matter. I’ll just be outside.” She started to leave but Claire called to her.  
“Skylar, you absolutely can be in here. It would actually be good if you were. You can help explain some things to Bree.”  
“I’d love to talk to you some more, so please come in,” Brianna added.  
“I’ll go see if Captain Freeman needs any help wi’ the rowin’,” Ian stated. He kissed Skylar’s cheek and she pecked his lips. “Come, Rollo,” he called to the dog who had been lying by Claire and Brianna’s feet. But hearing his name, he jumped up and followed Ian out.   
Skylar went to the other bed, but Claire stopped her. “No, no. Come sit with us.”   
As Skylar sat, she looked down to the side and saw a couple remaining small red dots. She knew it had to be Lesley’s blood that just refused to come up. She gripped the edge of the bed tight, but relaxed when she felt Claire’s hand on hers.   
“How are you, Skylar? Are you alright?”  
“So far. Hopefully it sticks.”  
Claire quickly changed the subject to get Skylar’s mind off Bonnet. “Now, I was just about to tell Bree that you got here the same way she did. Would you like to take over that story?”  
“Wait, you’re a time traveler too?” Brianna whispered so the ones outside wouldn’t hear. Skylar nodded. “You went through the stones?”  
“I did.”  
“So…what year are you from?”  
“2019.”  
The redhead’s mouth dropped nearly to the floor and her eyes went so wide they could have fallen out of her head. “Two…two thous-two thousand and nineteen?”   
“Dad had the same reaction when I told him.”  
“I just…we need to have a few hours where I can ask you the million questions that are listing in my head right now.”  
Skylar giggled. “I’m sure we can find some time for that if you want.”  
“How did you get here then? I mean, I know you said Craigh na Dun, but why were you in Scotland?”  
Skylar then went into her story of how it happened, finding Jamie and her decision to stay in the 18th Century.   
“That’s incredible,” Brianna commented when she was done. “I knew what I was getting myself into so my experience is way less interesting.”  
“You time traveled from the 1970s through hard cold stone to the 1760s. There is nothing ‘less interesting’ about that. But, why did you come?”  
Brianna then explained her own story about the obituary and needing to come to warn Jamie and her mother in hopes of preventing it from happening.  
“What an idiot printer,” Skylar said in response. “For one, making a rookie mistake like that, and then two, going ahead and publishing it. Jeez, just take the time and redo it. I made plenty of smudges when I was helping Dad in Edinburgh and I always fixed it. But, at least you know the first part of the date.”  
“We’re going to be sure that this doesn’t come to pass,” Claire said. “It’ll be the one piece of history we’ll be able to prevent and change.” She looked back to her blood daughter to ask, “Did you tell Roger you were coming here?”  
“No, I didn’t. I didn’t want him to know. But he found out and he followed me here.”  
“Is Roger your boyfriend?” Skylar asked.   
“Um…no, he’s not.”  
Claire wanted to get more information on Brianna’s previous statement. “Roger’s here, in North Carolina?”  
Brianna’s voice dropped with clear sadness and regret. “Not anymore. I didn’t want him to follow me. This was something I wanted to do on my own. But somehow he managed to find me in Wilmington. God, I was so mad at him that he risked his life…But also really happy to see him.” Though the tone of her voice was darker, the slight smile she gave when talking about him showed how she really felt about him. And Claire could see that.  
“You’re in love with him,” she said simply.   
Brianna confirmed that with a, “Yes. We were handfast.”  
“But you said he’s not here anymore? Where did he go?” Skylar questioned.  
“We got into this huge fight. And now he’s headed to Scotland and back through the stones.”  
“Over one argument?” Claire pushed.  
“We were both upset. He threatened to and I told him to go ahead, that I didn’t need him here. I should have gone after him.”  
Skylar tried to be optimistic. “He may not have gotten far. He could still be in Wilmington. When we get home, we can write to Fergus and Marsali and they can ask around about him.”  
“It’s too late. He sailed away this morning. It’s my fault.”  
“Oh, Bree.” Claire put a hand on her cheek and stroked her with her thumb.  
“I missed you so much, Mama.”  
“I’ve missed you too, my darling.” The mother and daughter hugged tight, and Skylar just inched herself away, feeling like an awkward third wheel. She looked out the door and saw Ian sitting at the front of the boat with Rollo. She also saw Lizzie close next to him and gazing at him. The jealousy came rushing back.  
“I think I’m gonna go outside for a bit. I’m feeling lightheaded in here,” she told the other two, the excuse not even being a lie. She was feeling a little lightheaded from just being on the boat and thought the air and moving around would help. Getting in between Lizzie and Ian was a bonus.   
“I’ll come with you. I could use some air too,” Brianna followed and the two girls stood up.   
“I’ll get our beds and lunch prepared,” Claire said.   
“I’ll send Lizzie in to help you.”  
“Good idea,” Skylar agreed, happy that Brianna found a way to get her away from Ian.  
Ian looked over his shoulder when he heard footsteps and smiled at seeing Skylar. He stood up and took her in an embrace. He looked down to her and asked, “How are ye doin’, my love?”  
“I’m perfect whenever I’m next to you,” she replied and he leaned down to her to kiss her.  
Brianna chuckled. “You two are cute.”  
The couple in question separated just enough so that Ian could put his arm around her shoulders and Skylar could hold his waist.   
She smiled up at him and said, “We try.” Ian kissed her head.  
“How long have you been together?” Brianna wanted to know.  
“Since last April, so a year.”  
“Though we wasted plenty’a months as ‘just friends’ and bein’ too scared te say anythin’ te one another,” Ian added.  
“We don’t think about the before time.”  
“You’re lucky to have each other.” Skylar could see and hear Brianna’s sadness over losing the man she had talked about, Roger.  
“If Roger loved you enough to chase you down from Scotland to Wilmington, he’s not going to give up on you after one fight. He’ll come back, I know it.”  
“Who’s Roger?” Ian asked.  
“Long story,” was all Brianna said and she just looked out to the view in front of them. “It’s so beautiful here. Very peaceful.”  
“Yeah,” Skylar breathed out, involuntarily tightening her hold on Ian.  
“I get a chill down my back when we pass through here,” he said.  
Brianna looked at him. “Why?”  
“The first time we made this journey, somethin’ terrible happened. We were robbed. The bastard and his men took everythin’ we had.” Skylar closed her eyes and concentrated on taking even breaths in and out as he went on. “The worst of it is that Uncle Jamie had helped this criminal te regain his liberty.”  
“I’m sure he was only trying to do the right thing,” Brianna said to him.   
“Aye. Couldn’t have foreseen it. This man, Stephen Bonnet…” Skylar’s breathing stopped at hearing his name and she clenched her eyes even more, “he had a…a way about him, ye ken? Irish Charm. He fooled us all. Except fer Skylar.” She opened her eyes. “She somehow could see through him from the start. I wish we all could’ve.” Brianna looked at the other girl and she was just staring blankly forward. Ian continued, “He slit our friend Lesley’s throat right in front of Auntie Claire. And Skylar, he found her alone first and tried te-”  
“Ian, don’t,” Skylar interrupted him. She didn’t want to hear someone else talk about it.   
He put his mouth on her head to kiss her again and spoke softly against it, “I’m sorry, Sky.” She just nodded in response. She took her arm from him and took his hand. She squeezed it, giving him a half smile in forgiveness, then let go to cross her arms and look back out.  
Ian finished the tale of that night with, “He stole Auntie Claire’s weddin’ ring too. Uncle Jamie’s never fergiven himself.” There was a long pause where no one said anything. Then Ian broke it with, “Are ye alright, cousin?” Skylar looked over in time to see Ian touch Brianna’s arm and her flinch away from him. Ian retracted immediately. Skylar recognized the action too well from when she did the exact same thing right after Bonnet’s attack.   
_Oh God, no,_ she thought, hoping she was wrong with her assumption.   
“Sorry,” Brianna apologized and tried to collect herself. “Sorry, it’s just…you paint such a vivid picture. I can see it so clearly in my mind.” Skylar knew she was lying but Ian didn’t catch on.   
“No, _I’m_ sorry,” he told her. “I didna wish te scare ye. Ye needn’t worry. I’m sure tis only in our nightmares he can trouble us now, eh?”  
“Youngin’,” Skylar spoke up, putting a hand on his arm, “I think Rollo’s getting hungry. Why don’t you get him his lunch. I’ll be in in a minute.”  
“Aye.” He nodded to Bree and went inside with Rollo following close behind him.  
When it was just Skylar and Brianna, Skylar waited a moment, then said, “He always means well, but sometimes when he gets started talking on certain things, it can be very hard to find his off switch.” They both laughed quietly.   
“He seems sweet,” Brianna stated.   
“He is. Very.” Another brief silence passed.  
“So, Stephen Bonnet, he…he hurt you?” Skylar breathed out a sigh at the memories. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, of course. I was just…I don’t even know.”  
“It’s okay.” She swallowed. “He…violated me. But he didn’t get as far as he was wanting to. There was a half second distraction and I got away. I still don’t understand how that happened and I was able to. But it was the after that was almost worse. I felt so…dark and angry. Ian touched my arm after it happened and I pulled away from him like it was Bonnet reaching out for me. I couldn’t see him or Dad for three days. I didn’t come out of the cabin for that time too. I had nightmares for so long.”  
“But are you better now? Are you moving past it? Can you stop replaying it in your mind?” From the way she phrased the questions, it was obvious she was asking for herself as well as the teenager.   
“I was. I was doing really well. I had stopped thinking about him.”  
“That’s all past tense?”  
Skylar looked behind her to make sure Claire and Ian were out of earshot. “I saw him last night. He saw me too and he came up to me and talked to me. He remembered me. And that…it’s going to take me a while to get over it again. That’s why I’m acting so off being on this boat.”  
“This is the same one it happened on?”  
Skylar nodded. “It would’ve been hard for me to be here anyway, but seeing him made everything so fresh and so it’s a thousand times harder.”  
“I’m so sorry, Skylar.”  
“There’s no need. Hopefully he’s out of our lives for good now.” She looked at the newest time traveler next to her and she had the same blank stare Skylar was wearing just minutes before. There was definite trouble and pain behind her eyes and Skylar wanted to ask about it, if it was an unfortunate connection they shared to have both been assaulted. But she knew that that was not her story to pry out. When Bree was ready and wanting to talk about it, she would.   
That night, Skylar and Ian slept in one of the beds with Bree in the other, and Claire and Lizzie slept on blankets on the floor beneath them.   
Skylar had been able to make it through the rest of the day without any panic attacks or serious anxiety, so she was hoping that she would fall asleep easily. But while she did fall asleep, she was woken up from a nightmare that was, of course, starring Stephen Bonnet. She bolted straight up and looked around the dark room, trying to see if he was still nearby. She was panting hard and had a fine layer of sweat over her body.   
When she realized it had only been a nightmare, she was relieved, but her nerves were still on high. She sniffed, trying to hold back from crying so she wouldn’t wake anyone. She brought her knees up to her chest and laid her head on them. She gripped tight to her necklace and spoke to her mom silently, _I want you here, Mom. I miss you so much and I need you. Come to me in a dream again, please. I need to see you again._  
“Yank?” she heard Ian say next to her. She sniffed again and wiped her eyes. She felt him sit up. “What’s wrong? What’s happened?”  
“I’m fine, Youngin’. Go back to sleep. It’s nothing.”  
“It’s clearly not nothin’. Come here.” He hugged both arms around her and brought her head to his chest. She fisted onto his shirt and let herself cry. “Yer safe. I have ye. No one will ever hurt ye while I’m here.” He gently rocked her and let out a soft “shhhh” to comfort her.   
“Is he going to haunt me forever?” she thought out loud.   
“When ye see him in yer dreams, remember what ye told me yer Ma would always say. She would hold ye tight and tell ye, ‘Wherever ye thought ye were, we’re both still here.’” He held her closer and put his cheek on top of her head. “Wherever ye thought ye were, we’re both still here. I will always be here.”  
When they laid back down, Skylar stayed pressed against him. He rubbed up and down her back and very quietly sang to her You Are My Sunshine like she would do for him when he had nightmares. He did this over and over until she fell back asleep.

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They reached Cross Creek without difficulty and Jamie was there waiting for them. Jamie had Ian take over driving the wagon with Bree and Lizzie riding in it while he, Claire and Skylar each took their horse.   
Skylar tried to keep pace with the wagon. Lizzie couldn’t take her eyes off Ian as they went and Skylar hated it. She kept remembering what those snobby women back at River Run had told her about their husbands cheating, that they were always drawn to the “shiny new toy.” But it wasn’t Ian that Skylar was worried about. She was sure that he would never be unfaithful to her. It was said “shiny new toy” that made her nervous, that she would try to find ways to be alone with him and attempt to draw him away from Skylar.  
 _I’ll just have to make sure she’s never alone with him. If she tries anything on him…_  
They made a rest stop at what should be trademarked as Jamie’s Cliff View. He took any opportunity to show it off and, of course, he wanted Brianna to see it.  
Skylar stayed back with Ian, saying that she had seen it so many times she had every detail memorized. Unfortunately, Lizzie stayed with them as well. Skylar sat in the seat next to Ian while Bree was out and attempted at small talk with the Scottish girl, trying to force herself to not hate her so quickly for liking Ian. But it was hard when Lizzie would direct most of her side of the conversation to Ian. And he was completely oblivious.  
To ignore it, Skylar looked to where Jamie, Claire and Bree were. She saw Jamie look at Brianna with so much love and joy, and she felt another ping of some emotion. It wasn’t jealousy like with Lizzie flirting with Ian, but it made her chest get tight. She brushed it off when the three came back and they continued on.  
When they made it back to the Ridge, Jamie went ahead of them and whistled. The cabin door opened and Murtagh came out. Skylar smiled at seeing him and that he was safe. She waited until after Jamie introduced Brianna to him before going to greet him.   
“I’m so happy you’re here,” she told him, hugging him.  
“It’s verra good te see ye as well, lass,” he said back. “And now that I’m here again and will be fer a while, we can pick up yer Gaelic lessons if ye want.”  
“Bu mhath leam. Tha mi air a bhith ag obair.”  
He chuckled. “Verra good. I’m impressed.”  
“I’ve had a good substitute teacher.” She looked back to Ian working on getting their things out of the wagon.  
“Oh, aye. I’m sure he’s been more than willin’ te give ye private lessons.”  
“Stop. We get more than enough grief from Dad.”  
“And now he’s got another set of eyes fer when he’s not around.”  
“Omigod,” Skylar muttered under her breath and walked inside.  
While unpacking, Claire noticed Lizzie was moving slow and was growing paler by the hour. She found that she had a slight fever, so she sent her to bed in the shelter and said she would come by later to check on her.  
It was decided that Brianna and Lizzie would stay in the shelter and Ian and Murtagh would sleep outside until a second one was built and when one on Murtagh’s own land was put together for him.   
At dinner that night, Brianna told her new family all the details of her travels from Scotland, including her visit to Lallybroch.  
“So ye met me Ma and Da, then?” Ian inquired.  
“Just your father,” Brianna answered. “Your mother was away helping with a birth. I’m sorry, I don’t remember which of your siblings it was.” Everyone laughed at that.  
“Dinna fash. We’ll teach ye all the names,” Jamie said.   
“Aye, could be ages learnin’, mind ye,” Ian warned.  
“I haven’t even mastered them all yet, plus the nieces and nephews. They’re never ending,” Skylar added.  
“Yeah, I’m still having enough trouble with Fergus and…” She trailed off, not remembering the second name.  
“Marsali,” Claire reminded her.   
“Marsali, yes.”  
“Ye’ll meet them soon. We hope they’ll move here in the Spring,” Jamie went on.  
“And hopefully they’ll visit even sooner. Then you can meet their son, Germain, the cutest baby in the whole world,” Skylar told her.   
“I can’t wait,” Brianna replied. She then remembered something and turned back to Ian. “Oh, your father asked me to convey a message. Your mother would like you to write more often.”  
“I told you once a month was not enough,” Skylar gloated. Ian rolled his eyes, annoyed at slightly embarrassed.  
Jamie found it amusing. “Aw, yer ma chidin’ ye from across the seas.”  
“Aye, and if ye have any sense ye’ll pay heed, or no doubt she’ll cross the sea herself,” Murtagh continued to tease. “Been that way since she was a lass.”  
“I miss your mom. I would love for her to come here,” Skylar said.  
“Dinna even say that or it’ll actually happen one day,” Ian fought.  
“What was Jamie like as a boy?” Brianna asked Murtagh.  
Jamie groaned and stood up to start clearing the table. “Best clear away the cobwebs if yer te remember anythin’ from that time.”  
Skylar seconded Brianna’s request. “I’d love to know too. I’ve barely heard anything about Dad’s childhood.”  
Murtagh decided on a story that they would all enjoy. “Well then, there was a time when wee Jamie was sent off te foster wi’ his Uncle Dougal.”  
“Oh, Christ,” Jamie mumbled, knowing whatever was coming would not be good.  
“He was around 14 or so. Dougal had four daughters, and Tabitha was the first girl that Jamie ever kissed.”   
“Uh, _she_ was the first girl te ever kiss _me_ ,” Jamie corrected as he brought over glasses for whiskey. He continued the story. “I was carryin’ two pails of milk fer her, and Tib took me by the ears and kissed me.” He kissed Claire’s cheek exaggerated to demonstrate. “Mind ye, I spilled the milk.” He finished passing out the glasses and sat back down.   
“A memorable first experience,” Claire commented.  
“Her mother caught us and told Dougal about it.”  
“Uh oh,” Skylar laughed.   
Murtagh took over again. “So the next mornin’, Jamie wakes up te find Dougal standin’ over him. Oh, they had a verra pleasant conversation. Dougal says that he would hate te think his nephew could take advantage of his daughter’s feelin’s.”  
“Sounds familiar,” Skylar joked, putting her hand on Ian’s shoulder and very delicately scratching it with her fingertips.  
“That doesna sound so bad,” Ian said.   
Murtagh then finished the story. “Aye, but the whole time that Dougal was talkin’, he had one hand on his dirk and the other one resting on Jamie’s bollocks.” Everyone at the table laughed at the image.  
“I didna look at a lass again until I was 16,” Jamie concluded.   
“I want te hear more of these stories,” Ian said.  
“Plenty more where that came from, lad,” Murtagh promised.  
Jamie disagreed and put an end to it, nervous about what else his godfather could reveal about him. “I think that’s enough stories fer one night.”   
Ian then noticed the fire in the fireplace was getting low, and he said, “I’ll go fetch us some more wood fer the fire.”  
“I’ll come with you,” Skylar joined, and they stood up.  
But as they past Jamie, he took hold of Ian’s arm to stop him. “Just remember, lad, history has a way of repeatin’ itself. And I would hate te think me nephew could take advantage of my daughter’s feelin’s.”  
“Omigod, can we please just go one day without you threatening him?” Skylar pleaded and pushed Ian forward and out the door.   
They went to the pile of firewood and made a small pile of logs they would bring in. But they also took this rare moment to enjoy being alone. They sat with their backs against a tree, holding hands. Skylar put her head on his shoulder and he put his on top of hers.  
“It’s so unbelievable how Brianna was able to come back te Uncle Jamie and Auntie Claire,” Ian said to her.   
“It really is.”  
“I wonder why they’ve never spoken of her before.”  
“Maybe it was just too painful to, having to leave her behind so long ago.”  
“Maybe. But they’re so happy now that she’s here, aren’t they? Uncle Jamie especially. It seems he couldna look at her teday wi’out tearin’ up.”  
“Yeah, I’m so happy for him that he has her back.” She went quiet for a while, and it was the kind of quiet that told Ian something was wrong.  
“Are ye alright, Yank?”  
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”  
“There’s somethin’ on yer mind. I know ye too well te think any different.”  
“It’s…it’s really nothing. It’s stupid.”  
“Then we’ll have a good laugh about it.”  
She tried to think of how to phrase it in the least ridiculous sounding way possible. “I’m just a little worried that now that Dad’s _real_ daughter is here, he might start loving me less.”  
“That’s impossible, and ye ken that well. He’s told ye time and time again that ye are as much his real daughter as if ye shared blood. He could never think otherwise or love ye wi’ less than his whole heart. He would no have threatened me when we were comin’ out here if he didna care about ye as his daughter still.” She gave a small laugh. “Ye have nothin’ te worry about. He’ll be there as yer father te give ye away when we’re married.”  
She lifted her head to look at him. “You’re still ready to start talking about that?”  
“Absolutely. I’ve been ready te have ye as my wife since the day I met ye.” He kissed her, but she pulled away after only a few seconds.  
“If we are going to start thinking seriously about it, we should still probably wait a bit to actually do it. Give Dad and Brianna a chance to get used to each other and for her to feel comfortable here before we cause even more excitement by dropping a wedding on them.”  
“Yer right, unfortunately. But the waiting will only make the actual day that much better and special.”  
She leaned in close to him, keeping her lips just millimeters from his without fully closing the space, and said to him, “And, of course, what comes after the wedding will be that much better from waiting too.” She pressed her lips to his and they slowly moved with each other.  
“What happened te we dinna need te wait until we’re married?” he questioned when they broke it.  
“I think we’re going to have to at this point. With three new people living here, it’s going to be even more impossible to find time to be alone for long enough. Plus, Murtagh told me that Dad is using him as another set of eyes to watch us, so we are never going to have a moment of privacy. But if we’re getting married soon anyways, it won’t be too painful to wait just a little bit longer.”  
“I suppose. But it’s been painful as hell waitin’ near two years.”  
“Two years? Have you been waiting since before we got together?” She put a hand on his upper thigh and placed feather soft kisses at the base of his neck.  
She heard him let out a long quiet breath. “Ye ken I’ve been wantin’ ye since I first set eyes on ye.”  
She whispered against his skin, giving him goosebumps, “And soon I’ll be yours and only yours for the rest of our lives.”  
He brought his face back to hers and kissed her with eager excitement at that promise.   
“Careful, you two,” a voice called out, making them pull apart. They saw Claire standing in front of them with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face. “Jamie will have your head, Ian, if he catches you like this.”  
Both of their faces started to burn but it was dark enough that Claire couldn’t see it.   
“We’ll be in in just a minute, Auntie,” Ian told her, speaking rapidly.  
“Well, don’t forget the firewood. It _was_ your excuse.” Claire smiled at them and walked back inside.  
“See? I told you. Not a moment of privacy,” Skylar reiterated. 

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By the middle of June, the residents of Fraser’s Ridge had settled into a new normal. It was extremely useful to have three extra sets of hands to take care of the land, and those three were more than willing to do whatever they needed to to help.   
Claire had made Brianna a pair of pants too in order to make it easier for her to work. Skylar was shocked by how okay Jamie was with Brianna wearing pants when he nearly lost his head when she first had.   
“It’s probably because I don’t have a boy around who always looks at me like he’s undressing me in his mind,” Brianna would joke. Skylar knew that was likely true, but she used Jamie’s approval with Bree wearing pants to get away with wearing her own practically every day.   
Skylar was finding a good friend in Brianna, and with Marsali in Wilmington, she was very happy to have another girl around her age to talk to. They would often do their chores and jobs together so they could hang out and get to know each other more. Skylar answered all of Brianna’s questions about the mysterious and far-off 21st Century as best she could. She was glad she didn’t have to explain cars and electricity to her like she had to with Ian. But everything else like cellphones and internet were so foreign and fascinating to Bree, and she hung onto every word the younger American would say.   
Skylar would also help her with certain things that were harder for her to get used to; like doing laundry at the river, churning butter, having to hand stitch everything, etc etc. But Bree was also able to impart some wisdom onto Skylar by helping her with her shooting. The 18 year old was very surprised to say the least when she found out how skilled Bree was at using a rifle. And while she had gotten quite a bit better since her first time using a gun, she welcomed Brianna’s advice open armed.   
She was really enjoying having Brianna around and was beginning to think of her as a big sister almost. But being friends with Bree didn’t do much to lessen the knot she felt in her stomach when she would see Jamie going out of his way to spend time with her and doing everything he could to bond with her. Especially when it cut into times when Skylar would usually have Jamie to herself. He had been saying often that he needed to reschedule whatever plans he and Skylar had for the day in order to be with Brianna.   
The hurt that Skylar felt from losing time with Jamie made her feel insanely guilty.   
_Of course he wants to spend as much time with Brianna as he can. She’s his daughter. And even though he’s told me I am too, it’s very very different. I wouldn’t blame him if he started to think otherwise._  
But the pair that she was not okay seeing spend time together was Ian and Lizzie. Over the near two months that she had been living there, it was beyond clear to see that Lizzie’s crush on Ian was only growing. She was finding any excuse she could to be around him, even if it was to just be working outside at the same time as him where she could see him, or playing dumb to get him to help her with the most simple tasks. She would complement him constantly and always was the first one to jump up if he needed assistance.  
Ian remained clueless about what was happening. He treated Lizzie kindly and acted as a friend to her, and Skylar knew Lizzie’s feelings were not requited. But Skylar still did all she could to keep the other girl away from her boyfriend.   
If she saw Lizzie approach Ian when she was with him, she would take his hand and lead him in the opposite direction. Or if they were working on something together and Lizzie came to see if they needed help, Skylar would very firmly say, “No, we’re fine.” She kept giving Lizzie the cold shoulder and would only interact with her when absolutely needed, and even then she was brief.   
The others noticed what she was doing and would try to talk to her about giving Lizzie a chance and being friendlier towards her.  
But she would always say, “As soon as she quits overtly flirting with Ian in front of me, I’ll be nicer.”  
So the day that Jamie had her come to the still with him while Claire kept Lizzie at the cabin to work in the garden, she was grateful for every minute they were apart.   
She and Jamie along with Ian, Brianna and Murtagh went to the still to brew the newest batch of whiskey a couple times a week. A few of the other settlers on the Ridge came by as well to bring the barley they had grown and to put in orders for casks.   
The smell of the fresh barley used to make Skylar feel sick when she first was working with it, but she was used to it by now and liked helping to make the alcohol. Brianna had picked up how to do it quickly and seemed to like it as well.  
“It’s a far cry from the still cellar at Leoch,” Jamie observed as they worked. “It does make whiskey though.”  
“Of a sort,” Ian joked.  
“Hey,” Skylar shoved his arm teasingly. “I don’t hear you complaining when we get to drink it. Then you can’t get enough.”  
“So says the lass who used te not be able te take one swallow and hold it down.”  
She scoffed in fake offense. “How about you go do your work, hmm? You’re distracting everyone.” Ian smiled and winked at her, then took the bucket he was filling with barley over to Brianna to mix it. Skylar just laughed lowly to herself and went back to filling a second bucket.  
Jamie went on explaining their system. “The farmers from the Ridge supply the barley, and then help me and Young Ian distribute the liquor.”  
“So, does everyone always call you _Young_ Ian?” Brianna asked the one mentioned.  
“When I was a bairn, it was _Wee_ Ian,” he told her.  
“Aww, I could’ve called you Weein’. Still time to change it,” Skylar said.  
His head whipped around to her. “Absolutely not. Dinna even think about it.”  
Skylar bit her lip to hold in her laugh, trying to figure out when the perfect time to call him that would be.  
“What’s your nickname for him again, Sky?” Bree asked.  
“Youngin’. I tried to call him Young Ian for a while but it took too much effort to say.”  
“And Youngin’ is verra happy te have his Yank wi’ him every day.” He walked back to Skylar and kissed her cheek.   
“Everyone always just calls me Bree,” Brianna said. There was a pause where the three Scots all exchanged glances, and Skylar just looked down and pressed her lips together, her Gaelic lessons with Murtagh the reason she knew why they were all thrown.  
Murtagh was the one to ask Jamie, “Is that what ye call her when ye shorten her name?”  
“Aye,” he replied awkwardly.  
Bree was confused by their reactions. “Something wrong with ‘Bree’?”  
Skylar looked from Ian to Murtagh to Jamie, wondering if one of them would tell her.  
But all Jamie said was, “No, it’s a Scots words. Doesna translate.”  
 _Omigod, someone should just tell her. She’ll probably think it’s funny_ , Skylar thought as she took a cup from Jamie to try the whiskey.   
Bree didn’t ask any more about it and took a cup as well.   
“Slàinte,” the men said before they drank.  
Skylar added a “Cheers,” and they all took a sip.  
It was too strong for Brianna as she started coughing after half a sip.   
“You’ll get used to it, I promise,” Skylar told her. “It gets drunk like water around here, so you kinda have no choice.”  
“Glad to know,” Brianna said back, still chocking slightly.  
That night, after Jamie and Claire had gone inside to bed, Skylar stayed around the fire with Ian and Brianna. Murtagh’s shelter was completed on his own tract of land he retired to that, and Lizzie had gone to bed as well, which Skylar was more than glad for.  
“So, what does ‘Bree’ mean in Gaelic?” Brianna decided to ask when the three were alone. “I don’t think Jamie’s going to tell me, so I was hoping one of you could. Is it, like, an insult or a bad word?”  
“No, no, nothin’ like that,” Ian told her.   
“Okay, then what does it mean?”  
“A ‘Bree’ means a disturbance,” Skylar translated.  
“A disturbance? That’s it?” Skylar nodded. “Why didn’t he just tell me that?”   
“He probably thought that you would think he was calling you a disturbance and didn’t want to make you upset.”  
“Because of the translation of my nickname that he has no control over?”  
“Uncle Jamie is verra protective of the ones he loves. He’s always afraid of hurtin’ them in any way,” Ian explained. “Even if it doesna seem logical te ye.”  
When Skylar and Ian had to part for the night, they gave each other a long and passionate kiss goodnight, forgetting all about the third person there until she spoke up. “God, are you two trying to swallow each other or something?” Brianna had brought over water to put out the fire and felt embarrassed coming back and walking in on them, even though they were out in the open.  
“Sorry,” Skylar said to her, feeling very awkward. She told Ian “Goodnight,” very simply and they kissed quick once more. Then Ian hurried inside his shelter.  
“Does that happen a lot?” Bree asked her, laughing lightly, when Skylar turned to her again.  
“When there are eyes watching your every move, you take any chance you have to get the slightest bit intimate because you have no idea when the next chance will be.”   
Skylar woke up the next morning excited. She and Jamie would be leaving before first light the morning after to go bee hunting again and she wanted to talk to him about the supplies they would need to take. She found him outside brushing the horses.  
“Dad, there you are!” she called out and jogged the rest of the way him.  
“Yer verra awake this mornin’. Usually takes ye an hour or two before ye can form a full sentence.”  
“I wanted to talk to you about hunting tomorrow.”  
“Ah, aye. I wanted te speak wi’ ye about that as well.”  
“You go first. What’s up?”  
Jamie put the brush down and turned to face her. “I wanted te ask if ye would be alright with Bree comin’ wi’ us.”  
“To come bee hunting?”  
“Aye. I ken it’s somethin’ that ye and I do on our own, but havin’ Brianna here wi’ me now, I really want te spend as much time with her as I can te bond so she can start te really think of me as her father. Ye understand?”  
“Of course I do. And yeah, I have no problem with her coming.” Skylar’s heart sunk down to her stomach. With Brianna being his number one priority lately, she had been so looking forward to be able to have some time with him just by themselves.   
_But that’s so selfish. I can’t do that._   
Jamie smiled. “I kent ye wouldna. Now, what was it ye wanted te talk about?”  
“Um…you know, I don’t even remember. It’s far too early for my brain to work properly.”  
He chuckled. “Well, if ye remember, come find me.”  
“I will.” She started to walk away, but stopped, knowing what she needed to do for him, even if she hated it. She turned back and said, “Dad?” He looked at her. “Why don’t you go tomorrow just with Bree?”   
“I didna mean fer ye te think I didna want ye there wi’ us. Not at all. I ken ye’ve been lookin’ forward te it, as have I.”  
“It’s okay, really. This is my idea. You should get some one on one time with your daughter.”  
He walked to her. “Yer sure?”  
“I am.” She plastered a smile on her face to hide her heartbreak.  
He gave her an appreciative smile and kissed her head. “Thank ye, Sky. Truly, I’m grateful.”  
She just kept her fake smile and nodded. He gripped her shoulder then left to move onto his next job.   
Skylar closed her eyes and let out a breath, then went about her day like nothing was wrong.  
She had woken up for just a moment that night, or very early the next morning, and saw Jamie put on his jacket right before going outside to wake up Bree for bee hunting. She felt terribly guilty for feeling sad.   
_This was my idea for them to go without me. I told him to. I shouldn’t be upset about it when it was my decision._   
While helping Claire cut vegetables for dinner the next day, Claire said to her, “You’re very quiet. That’s not like you. Is everything alright?”  
She nodded. “Mmhm. I’m fine.”  
“You don’t feel sick? You and Ian are okay?”  
“I’m fine, Claire. Really. Just nothing on my mind to say.”  
Claire watched her as she put the cut pieces in a bowl and started slicing the next one. She had a feeling she knew what the teenager’s low mood was about but wanted to get her to be the one to talk about it.  
“Jamie told me you gave up your place bee hunting to give him some time with Brianna. That was very kind of you.”  
She shrugged. “He needs the time with Brianna more than with me right now.”  
“Skylar, you do know that Jamie wants to still-”  
“I’m going to get some more parsley from the garden. I’ll also bring in the water for the soup.” She left before Claire could say anything.   
She walked to the garden and stood outside its fence. She pressed the heels of her hands into her forehead and took a deep breath in and let it out all at once. She dragged her hands down her face and threw them down to her sides.  
 _This is ridiculous. I’m acting like a damn child who won’t share their toys. But I don’t want to share my dad and I’m a horrible person because of that!_   
“Sky!” she heard Ian. She didn’t look at him but heard him run to her. “What’s goin’ on? Are ye alright?”  
“Why does everyone keep asking me that? I’m fine! Jesus Christ!” she yelled. She took another breath to calm down and looked at Ian. She could tell he felt bad for making her upset even though it wasn’t anywhere close to his fault. “I’m sorry,” she spoke again, much softer. “I’m so sorry, Ian. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”  
“Ye dinna have te apologize. There’s clearly somethin’ botherin’ ye. What’s wrong?” She didn’t answer him. “Is it Uncle Jamie huntin’ wi’ Brianna instead’a ye?” She crossed her arms and looked off to the side.  
“I told him to. I told him to go without me. But part of me was hoping that if I did, he would tell me how much he wanted me there and didn’t want to go if I wasn’t. He didn’t say that. He just said thank you.” She closed her eyes and tried to swallow the tears that were forming, tears she felt she had no reason to cry. “I feel like I could lose him, Ian.”  
“Yer not.” He stood behind her and lightly rubbed her upper arms. “I swear it te ye, Sky, Uncle Jamie is not replacin’ ye with Bree. He loves ye as much as he did the hour before she came te him.”  
“Yeah, you’re right,” she said to him, not believing that but just saying it to get him to stop talking. She pulled from him and turned to look at him. “I told Claire I was bringing in parsley. I should actually pick some.”  
“Do ye want help?”  
“No, I’d kind of like to be alone for a bit.”  
“Of course. Whatever ye’d like.”  
She touched his arm and kissed his cheek. “I’ll come find you later.” She then turned her back to him and went into the garden.   
Ian and Murtagh had gone out early that evening to find some meat for their dinner as well. It was just getting dark when Skylar and Claire had finished the soup and left it over the fire to keep warm.   
When Claire happened to look out the window, she announced, “They’re back.”  
“Who?” Skylar asked as to which pair.  
“Jamie and Bree.” Claire went to the door to meet them on the porch. “Welcome back,” Skylar heard her greet them. She stayed inside, cutting bread into slices. “I’ll put the kettle on, shall I?” Claire came back inside with Jamie and Bree following.   
“How did it go?” Skylar made herself ask.   
“It was really good,” Brianna answered. “Da found a hive filled with honeycombs.”  
“That’s great.” She felt a lump form in her throat when she heard Brianna call Jamie Da.   
“Why don’t we try some it as an appetizer,” Claire suggested, and Jamie and Brianna heartily agreed. “Skylar, you’ll join us, won’t you?”  
“Um, thanks, but I think I’m gonna go lay down before dinner.”  
“Are ye feelin’ sick?” Jamie asked her, a little worried.  
“I’ve had a growing stomach ache for the last couple hours, so…it’s nothing bad.”  
“Do you want me to make you a ginger tea?” Claire offered.  
“No, no, I’ll be fine. I’ll rejoin you all at dinner.” She gave them a fake half smile and left the cabin. She went into the second shelter that Ian slept in and sat on his bed.   
“What the hell is wrong with me?” she said to herself.   
_Why can’t I just be happy for him? His daughter, his real and true, blood and flesh daughter is here and calling him Da. That’s so wonderful and good and he’s so happy. And I’m just feeling sorry for myself._   
She felt a tear run down her face and she wiped it away, clenching her eyes tight to not let anymore through.  
 _No. No, I will not cry. I have nothing to cry about. Dad’s happy, that’s all that matters._  
She stayed in the shelter for a half hour before the door opened and Ian came in.   
“Yank, what are ye doin’ in here?”  
“Dad and Bree came back and I figured I’d let him and Claire be with their daughter alone.”  
“Do _ye_ want te still be alone?”  
She blinked back the inevitable tears and shook her head. Ian went right to her and sat on the bed. He helped her lay down so that her head was resting in his lap and he gingerly ran his fingers through her hair.  
“I’m a terrible person,” she told him, her voice shaky.  
“Ye are not a terrible person. Yer the farthest thing from it.”  
“Then why am I so sad that he and Brianna are getting close? It should be a good thing.”  
“Yer no used te sharin’ him is all. It’s verra understandable ye feelin’ like this. Yer not a terrible person, love.” She didn’t say anything in response and he didn’t add anything. They stayed in their comfortable silence until Claire came to get them for dinner.   
Skylar tried to change her attitude and be more open minded as they all ate together. But every time Bree called him Da and Jamie called her a leannan, a little bit more of her heart chipped away. She wanted to say she knew she was being overdramatic and there was nothing to be jealous of or worry about, but that small illogical part of her brain that always spoke up at the worst times was just getting louder and louder and refused to shut up.   
After only a , thankfully, minor struggle, she fell asleep, feeling just the slightest bit grateful that her anxiety over Jamie kept her distracted from her anxiety over Lizzie.  
 _If Claire could find a way to make some sertraline out of her herbs, that would be great._

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While Skylar slept, Jamie and Claire were having their own conversation about her. Jamie had been telling Claire how happy he was that Brianna had come into his life and how much he was dreading the day where she would need to go back to her time.   
“I am so grateful fer Skylar fer allowin’ me this time wi’ Bree teday. She’ll never know how much it truly meant te me. I canna imagine how hard of a decision it was fer her te make. I ken how excited she was fer the day. She is so selfless and caring fer others. I am beyond blessed te have two such wonderful daughters.”  
“You may want to remind her of that,” Claire told him.  
“What do ye mean?”  
“I could tell something was troubling her all day, but whenever I would ask she just kept saying she was fine. But I’m more than certain that she was only putting on a brave face. You know how she is, she’d never put her own feelings before anyone else’s. Especially if she thinks they might hurt someone or make people worry about her. And it wasn’t just today. She’s been fairly sad for quite a while. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s because she thinks that with Brianna here, you might be starting to love her less.”  
“That could never happen. She kens that though I didna make her, she _is_ my daughter and I could never love her any less, no matter who were te ever come inte our lives. Ye dinna think she would really believe that?”  
“The insecurities of a teenage girl know no limits, even when it comes to how worthy you are of a father’s love.”  
Jamie looked over at the sleeping Skylar in her bed and he could feel his heart break in half that this girl who was everything to him could think so little of herself that she could be replaced and forgotten.  
Claire could feel the guilt rising in him. “I’m taking Bree with me tomorrow to collect herbs by the river. Why don’t you use that time to be with Skylar and talk to her. Remind her that she is as much our daughter as Bree.”  
“I will. I canna stand her bein’ in pain, even more so when I’m the cause of it. It happened once before and I’ll never let it again.”  
Claire kissed his shoulder and rubbed circles on his back to help him relax. “Maybe you can also find a way to convince her that there is no chance in hell Ian will leave her for Lizzie; before a fight breaks out that she’ll both start and finish.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GAELIC  
> Bu mhath leam – “I would love to”
> 
> Tha mi air a bhith ag obair – “I have been practicing”


	45. Solas Mo Bheatha

The next afternoon, Brianna went with Claire to find the herbs Claire was needing, and Skylar stayed back, working through her regular chore routines.   
Jamie had been watching her all morning and into the afternoon. He could now see that she was being more distant and quiet than he had ever known her to be. The positive energy and joy that always followed her was nowhere to be found. It tore him up inside that he hadn’t noticed it sooner.  
He went to the garden where she and Ian were and said to her “A leannan.” She stood up from weeding and looked at him. “There are casks of whiskey that need te be delivered te the settlers. Would ye come with me te do that?”  
“Isn’t Ian the one that usually helps you with that?”  
“I’d like fer ye te join me teday if that’s alright wi’ ye.” He looked at Ian, hoping that his nephew would get the silent message to let her go.  
And he did just that. “I have no issue with it at all. I’m te go te the mill teday anyway, so that would be good actually.”  
Jamie looked at Skylar again. “Sky?”  
She gave him a small smile and said, “Of course I will. I’d love to.”  
As glad as she was to be going with him, she couldn’t help but think, _I wonder if he would have asked Brianna is she was here._   
But her mood did pick up when they set out. They were talking and joking like normal. But Jamie could still see the sadness behind her eyes and in her smile. He needed to talk to her and ease her pain, but finding the words that could make her believe him didn’t come easily.   
They loaded the whiskey and distributed it to everyone who had most recently placed an order without any difficulties. On the way back to the cabin, Jamie stopped the wagon, saying, “Why don’t we walk around a bit? I found some strawberry bushes just around here last week.” Skylar agreed and they got out of the wagon.   
After walking for less than five minutes, they came across the bushes Jamie mentioned. The strawberries were a good size and bright red. They looked very refreshing for the warm late Spring day. They each picked a few and sat under a nearby tree to eat them.   
“I don’t think I’ve ever had fresh picked strawberries,” Skylar said.   
“Do ye not have them anymore in yer time?”  
“No, we do. But people really just buy them from a grocery store. These are so much better.”  
“I’m verra glad ye like them.”  
“We should bring some back with us, Jamie. I’m sure Claire would be able to cook something with them.”  
Jamie’s eyebrows furrowed together at what had just come out of her mouth. “Why are ye callin’ me by my name again?”  
“Um, I had been thinking all day yesterday and I thought that you might prefer it if I stopped calling you dad.”  
“Why would ye think I’d want that?”  
She put her last couple strawberries next to her and looked down at her fingers. “You said that you had always wanted to hear your children call you Da or Dad or whatever. So, with Brianna here and calling you Da, I figured you would want that special for just her since she’s your…your actual child.”  
That went through his gut like a knife. Having Claire tell him that Skylar was feeling like this had been awful, but to hear her say it to him herself was more than he could bear and he felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest.   
He moved in closer to her. “Skylar, a leannan, m’ annsachd. Do ye truly believe that yer not my daughter anymore just because Bree is here?” She didn’t answer. She just kept picking at her nails. “Ye couldna be farther from the truth, lass. Every child of Jenny’s wasna relieved of their role as son or daughter when the next bairn came along.”  
“But that’s different. They are all Jenny’s real children. They share her blood. I’m just a random girl who got brought to your doorstep. If you’re able to put all of your love towards the daughter you can actually see yourself in, why would you share any with the spare?”  
“Blood does not make family. Family is made up of the people ye love more than anythin’ and would do anythin’ fer. Ye would fight te tooth and nail te the death te keep them safe and healthy and happy. Ye ken that ye would never be whole if somethin’ were te ever happen te them. And I would walk through fire wi’out a thought if it meant ye would be happy and out of harm’s way. Please look at me.” Skylar closed her eyes and took a breath. She lifted her head to face Jamie, and when she did, she could see the desperation he was feeling to get her to hear the undeniable truth of what he was saying. “Ye are the center of my world, Skylar. Bree is no kickin’ ye from that place. She is only joinin’ ye. I love ye both with such a fire in my heart that words could never express.” He very tenderly cupped her face. “My two beautiful perfect daughters. Is tu solas mo bheatha, you are the light of my life.”  
Skylar went on her knees to hug him tight around his neck and he held her close to him in the embrace, trying to repeat everything he had just said in words through the action. While they stayed like this for a full minute, an idea came to him.   
He waited for her to be the one to end it, and when she did, he touched her cheek again, feeling such love and pride for the girl looking back at him.   
“Now, with yer permission, there is somethin’ I’d like te do te make it so ye never have te question this again.”  
“What is it?”  
“Are ye still verra sickly around blood? Because this involves givin’ ye a prick.”  
“After helping Claire tend to your’s and Ian’s never ending injuries, I’ve been beginning to get over it.”  
He laughed. “Good. May I have yer hand?”  
She held out her hand to him, palm facing up. She got nervous when he took out his knife, but the cut on the heel of her hand was made so quick that she barely had time to react other than a small gasp. He did the same to his own hand, and then placed his cut on top of hers, pressing them together.   
Looking firmly at her, he recited, “Skylar Anne Kelley Fraser, ye are the blood of my blood, bone of my bone. I claim thee as my daughter before all men, from this day forever.”  
Skylar couldn’t breathe when Jamie gave her the name Fraser. She tried to focus on his face as he spoke, but he was very blurry from the happy tears building in her eyes. She finally realized how unbelievably idiotic she was to think he would ever think of her any differently than he had since day one. But after this, she would never doubt it again.   
They took their time getting back to the wagon and rode slowly home.   
Skylar hadn’t felt this light and euphoric since hearing Ian say he loved her for the first time. And now she couldn’t wait to get back to him, to hug him and kiss him and tell him about her time with Jamie.  
When they arrived, she didn’t see him right away. She looked around the land and in his shelter but he wasn’t there. She went to see if he was inside the cabin, but she only found Claire and Brianna sitting at the table.  
“Hey, do either of you know where…is everything okay?” It seemed that she had walked in on them in a serious conversation.  
Claire looked at Bree, then said to Skylar, “We’re alright, darling. Did everything go fine with the whiskey?”  
“Yeah, perfect. Are you sure there’s nothing-”  
“I promise, Sky, you don’t need to worry,” Brianna told her. It was obvious that whatever this was about, Brianna wanted to keep it private. So Skylar didn’t push anymore.  
“Your hand,” Claire spoke suddenly. “What happened?”  
Skylar touched the makeshift bandage Jamie had wrapped around the cut he made. “Oh, um, that’s nothing. It’s very small.”  
“Well, you should still have it cleaned. Come over here.”  
Skylar went to the table and Claire brought out a small bottle of alcohol that she kept specifically for cleaning wounds.   
“Were you looking for something when you came in?” she asked Skylar as she dabbed her hand.  
“Yeah, I was looking for Ian. I can’t find him.”  
“He and Lizzie went to the mill a while ago,” Brianna informed her. “They’re probably still there.”  
“Oh, that’s right. I completely forgot that he said he was going today.” Then the other part of what Brianna told her hit her. “Wait, he and _Lizzie_ went to the mill?”  
“Yes. He didn’t tell you?”  
“No.”  
The two other woman could see the youngest was getting riled up and they tried to calm her down.  
Claire went first. “Skylar, I can promise you without any doubt that it’s completely innocent. You know he doesn’t think of Lizzie like that.”  
“Even if he doesn’t, _she_ thinks of _him_ like that and that’s what I don’t like about this. Bree, I’m sorry, I know she’s your friend, but even you’ve seen how she is with him in front of me. I don’t want to think about what she could do when I’m not there.”  
Brianna countered with, “Even if she did try something, I can say very certainly that Ian would put a stop to it immediately. Yes, I’ve seen how Lizzie is around him, but I’ve also seen how he is around you. I’ve never seen someone look at another person with half the love Ian has when he looks at you. I haven’t known him long, but I don’t think he would ever do anything to risk what you two have.”  
Skylar took a long inhale through her nose and exhaled it slowly out of her mouth. “Okay, I need something to do to distract me until he’s back. What can I do?”  
Claire offered up the laundry that needed to be done and Skylar took it. She spent far longer than necessary scrubbing each garment and cloth while trying not to imagine Ian kissing Lizzie, him holding her and touching her.  
She was working on one of the last pieces when they walked into her view. Her blood boiling as she watched them. They both seemed very happy. They were chatting and laughing like they had just gotten back from a pleasant day in town rather than collecting flour.   
After setting the sacks of flour on the porch, Ian went to Skylar. He put his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. “How was yer day wi’ Uncle Jamie?”  
“It was really nice, but I’ll tell you about that later. I need to talk to you.”  
He was confused and concerned at the sharp tone of her voice. “Alright. What about?”  
Skylar glanced at Lizzie who was with the horses, giving her a subtle glare. “Alone,” she finished. Her eyes went back to him, then turned on her heel and headed for his shelter. Ian was unsure of what was coming, but he followed her.  
He walked in behind her and closed the door. They just looked at each other for a beat, and then Skylar started. “You took Lizzie with you to the mill?!”  
Ian was taken aback by the statement, though she made it sound more like an accusation. “Aye. Was that wrong?”  
“I don’t even go there with you. Why would you feel the need to take her?”  
“Ye were gone wi’ Uncle Jamie when I went, and ye dinna go there because there’s that plant around it that if you get near it ye get all red and itchy.”  
“You couldn’t just go alone?”  
“I didna seek her out and invite her. She asked if she could come along. Why is this an issue we’re arguin’ about?”  
Skylar put her hands on her hips, taking a long pause before asking the question she was dreading. “Do you have feelings for Lizzie, Ian? Because if you do, please just tell me now. It’ll hurt less than if I find out accidentally.”  
Ian stared at her like she had three heads as he tried to figure out if he heard her correctly. “Do I have fee – what? Of course not! Where the hell did that come from? I swear it te ye on my life, Skylar. Lizzie is just my friend. There is nothin’ more between us, I give ye my word on that.”  
“That’s what we kept saying to people, remember?”  
Ian waited a moment to see if she would say that this was a joke and she wasn’t serious. But she didn’t. “What happened teday that would make ye think all this?”  
“This didn’t suddenly come into my mind just today, Ian.”  
“What are ye talkin’ about?”  
“Christ, Youngin’! You can’t really be that blind. But I mean, you didn’t see it when I was head over heels for you, so why would you notice if any other girl is?”  
“What does that mean?”  
“Lizzie has a huge crush on you!”  
“A _crush_ on me?”  
“She has feelings for you. She’s attracted to you, like majorly.”  
“She is?” He seemed genuinely shocked.  
“Yes! You really haven’t noticed anything?”  
“I dinna really pay much heed te any lasses other than ye, Sky. Nor do I look fer their affections.” She took in a breath but didn’t let it out. She ran a hand through her hair and looked to the side, the pool of jealousy she was drowning in making her feel hazy. Ian could feel her frustration and went closer to her. He spoke softly, “What could ever make ye think I would ever want anyone other than ye?”   
She didn’t look at him. She bit her lip, scared to say anymore because that too loud illogical part of her brain was saying that he just might agree with her.   
“I’m not good enough for you, Ian,” she told him very feebly. “And I’m petrified for the day when you’ll see that too. And Lizzie,” she turned from him and walked a few steps, crossing her arms, “she’s just…she’d be a much better match for you. First of all, she’s not half your height so you don’t have to break your back every time you kiss her. She’s also Scottish so she knows…Scottish things, I guess, that you know too, so you have more in common with her through that. She doesn’t struggle to say a simple sentence in Gaelic and I bet she can pick up Cherokee and Mohawk far quicker than I can. And she’s from this century, for God’s sake! She understands things and knows how to do things so easily that I, for the life of me, can’t seem to figure out because she’s from here. She’d give you a much less complicated life.”  
Ian didn’t respond for a minute. He just took in all that she said and tried to make sense of it. “Ye think I would choose someone over ye just because they can speak Gaelic, when that’s their native language and they grew up with it?” Skylar looked down, choosing a rock to put all of her focus on while Ian continued. “Did we not just have this exact same conversation but two months ago, except it was the other way round? Where _ye_ were the one tellin’ _me_ that ye saw me as perfect and would only ever want me fer as long as we both shall live?” She stayed staring at the rock and he went closer to her again. “Why is it that I’m no allowed te say bad things about myself, but ye can say as such about ye?” She felt him take hold of her upper arms and she took in a sharp breath. She stood up straighter and just looked ahead at the wall of sticks. “Can ye look at me, Yank? Please look at me.” One small step at a time, she turned back around to face him. She was still looking down so he gently lifted her chin to make her eyes meet his. “Ye are the one constantly good and perfect thing in my life. Ye are what makes me whole. I’m wantin’ te marry ye, Skylar. I couldna care less if Lizzie has a crush on me, as ye said. I want ye and only ye fer the rest of my life. So please, do not insult the woman I love. Because if ye do, then yer insultin’ me.” She gave an almost not even there smile at him using her words against her. He took her face in both hands. “Ye never have te fear losin’ me. I’d sooner die before I’m te live a life wi’out ye.” He pulled her into a hug and she burrowed into the crook of his neck, gripping onto his back. “Is tu solas mo bheatha,” he whispered against her hair.   
Skylar chuckled faintly. “Dad said the same thing to me today.” They pulled back enough to look at each other, but still held onto their person. “I had practically the same conversation with both of you, just worded differently. I’m so stupid for thinking there was a chance you would leave me. I’m sorry.”  
“Dinna apologize. I’m glad that ye were able te talk te me instead of keepin’ everythin’ inside until ye exploded.”  
“And that explosion would’ve included me punching Lizzie.”  
“I’m _verra_ glad that ye didna get that far.”   
For the rest of the day, Skylar’s anxiety had gone down remarkably now that the two major pressing issues on her mind were resolved. Though Lizzie was still flirting with Ian the same, Skylar felt much less anger about it; especially because Ian was now aware of it and would not respond in the same overly kind way as not to give her any wrong ideas, but still not being rude or mean to her in the least.   
When everyone had gathered for dinner for that night, Brianna said she had some news to share.  
“Since it’s going to be harder to hide it soon, I think it’s time that I told you all…I’m pregnant.”  
There was a stunned silence from everyone except Claire and Jamie, who took the other’s hand and shared a solemn glance.   
Skylar was the first to speak. “That’s so amazing. Omigod! It’s Roger’s, right?” Bree was trying to say something, but it was very hard for her to get the words out. Skylar’s smile started to fade. “Is this not a good thing?”  
“Uh…I can’t…I don’t know if it’s definitely Roger’s.” Another silence fell among the group, but this one was so heavy that they could hear the flies buzzing outside. Brianna knew she needed to explain more, which was more difficult than giving her last statement. “The other man, he wasn’t…I-I didn’t-I didn’t want to…he attacked and violated me. It was the same night that Roger and I were handfast so, I can’t say for sure whose baby this is.”  
“Okay,” Skylar said. “Do you know his name?”  
Brianna paused for a second before saying, “No, I don’t. He was a complete stranger.”  
 _I hate that I was right,_ Skylar thought. _Whoever this man is, he and Stephen Bonnet can both go die in a fucking hole together, the disgusting assholes._   
Skylar tried to spend as much time as she could with Brianna after that. She was there to give words of comfort with absolutely no judgement, but also to just listen when Bree needed to talk things out. She was fighting with herself on whether to keep the baby or not. She went back and forth over and over, and Skylar was there to listen to everything she had to say.   
“It’s an impossible decision,” she would tell Bree, “and not one you should make lightly. It’s right that you’re taking this time to weigh out both options.”  
Brianna was so grateful to have Skylar there as a friend. She didn’t want to talk to Lizzie about this because, as a person of this time, she considered abortion a sin and Bree knew she would argue against it. And she knew she could always go to Claire for anything, but it was better sometimes to be able to talk to someone her age and not biased towards her. Skylar also knew exactly how to make her laugh and distract her from the situation when she needed it.   
She was happy that they were getting closer. Bree had noticed that Skylar was keeping herself more a distance and Bree was worried that she had done something to upset her. But more recently, Skylar was seeking her out and wanting to be around her and talk to her. They were becoming fast good friends, which made her feel even more guilty whenever she would talk to the younger girl about her attack and attacker, that it was the same man who had hurt her; Stephen Bonnet. She wanted to share this, but she knew it would be better to keep it hidden. Hearing Ian say how guilty Jamie was from not being able to protect Skylar, she didn’t want him to feel even worse from finding out the same man hurt her too.   
She also used this time with Skylar to hear out her frustrations with Lizzie. Skylar told her, though, that after her talk with Ian, she was no longer feeling contempt for Lizzie. She still didn’t like it by any means when the Scottish lass would try to get Ian’s attention, but she knew there was nothing for her to worry about. She even admitted that she was feeling slightly bad for Lizzie that Ian was now giving her half the time he used to.   
“I don’t want to be that controlling toxic bitch of a girlfriend that says he can’t have any friends that are girls. I _hate_ those kinds of girls,” she would say. “And that’s all she ever will be to him, a friend. We see so few people are age on the Ridge that I can’t take away a friend from him or her. That would just be cruel.”  
She wanted to find a way to extend an olive branch to Lizzie and apologize, and one day, she found a way to.   
It had been only two weeks since Bree made her announcement, and Skylar was watering the garden while Ian was grooming Finley.   
Skylar saw Lizzie go to Ian and say to him, “Ian, I wonderin’ if ye might accompany me te collect firewood? With Mr. Fraser busy with other work, I dinna want te go out on my own.”  
“Oh, uh…” Ian looked to Skylar behind Lizzie and they locked eyes. “I thank ye fer the offer, Lizzie, but I’m afraid I canna right now. I have te finish wi’ the horses.”  
Just from looking at Lizzie’s back, Skylar could see she was disappointed. “Oh, aye. Of course.”  
Before she talked herself out of it, Skylar called to them, “I can keep grooming the horses, Ian.”  
Ian was confused. “What?”  
She crossed to the pair as she said, “Yeah, I can finish brushing them and such. You go with Lizzie.”  
“Are ye sure about this?” Ian raised his eyebrows, asking her silently if she was really okay with this.  
She nodded. “Yes. Go take a walk with your friend.”  
Ian smiled at her and kissed her. “I’ll be back before long.”  
“Can’t wait.”   
He kissed her again, then he and Lizzie went off.  
When they were gone, Skylar ran her hands over her and muttered to herself under her breath, “Oh, Christ.”  
It had been only 45 minutes when Skylar saw Lizzie come back. She had a very, almost forced, straight face and was speed walking to where she and Brianna slept.  
Skylar jogged to catch up to her before she went inside. “Lizzie!” The one mentioned stopped at her name and turned to Skylar. “Are you okay? Where’s Ian?”  
“Aye, aye. I-I’m-I’m fine, Skylar. Ian and I, um, we ran inte Mr. Fraser on our way back and he asked Ian te assist him wi’ a slight problem at the still. So, that’s where he is.” She was speaking very fast, like she was nervous. But Skylar chose to ignore that for now. She needed to talk to her.   
“Oh, okay.”  
They stood awkwardly until Lizzie said, “If ye willna be needin’ me, I’m goin’ inside te-”  
“Actually, Lizzie, um…there’s something I wanted to say to you.” Lizzie nodded and just looked at Skylar, waiting for her to continue. “I wanted to say…I’m sorry. I’m really really sorry for how I’ve been treating you since you came here. I was stupid and jealous and petty, but that’s nowhere near an excuse. I was very cold to you and it was not okay. I’m really sorry, Lizzie, and I really hope we can be friends.”  
The dark haired girl gave the other a small kind smile. “Though yer apology is unneeded, I will accept it if it’ll help te ease ye. And I, too, would like te be yer friend.”  
Skylar smiled back. “Great. I’m really glad we got that cleared.”  
“Aye, me as well.”  
“Before you go, just one more thing. I was treating you so awfully because I know you have feelings for Ian. And I wanted to say that you’re, of course, allowed to have feelings for him. I obviously can’t blame you for that. I have pretty strong feelings for him too. But,” she took a couple steps closer and lowered her voice some, “if u ever act on them, I will slap u so hard across the face your head will spin around like an owl. Do we understand each other?”  
Though this girl was quite a bit shorter than her, some fear crossed Lizzie’s face at her promise. “Aye, Skylar,” was all she said in response, understanding very well.  
Skylar smiled sweetly again and touched her arm. She said, “Good talk,” in her regular voice, then walked away.


	46. The Build Up

Jamie and Ian came back to the cabin close to an hour after Lizzie had. Skylar was concerned when she saw Jamie’s hands bloodied and bruised, but he assured her it was nothing serious and Claire would be able to clean and bandage it easily.   
Jamie sent her inside to get Claire so she could do just that, but before she walked through the door, she turned back to him and Ian and saw they were whispering close together with very intense expressions on their faces. She had no idea what that was about, but she figured it couldn’t be anything important since neither of them said anything to her about it. So she brushed it off and forgot about it.   
A month had gone by since that day and things had returned to the Fraser-version of normal. Fergus and Marsali came to visit for a few days with Germain and were shocked, to say the least, to meet Brianna. Jamie and Claire had put together some story about Claire giving birth to her and having to give her up when she left Scotland during Culloden and they had gotten in touch when they all came to America. All in all, Fergus and Marsali were very happy to meet her and extended to her warm welcomes into the family.   
During this period, Skylar and Ian had decided to push their engagement and eventual wedding off even longer so that Brianna would get all the attention and focus that she needed while she figured out what to do about her pregnancy.   
Skylar tried to remain optimistic even though it was slightly frustrating. “We’ve waited this long. What’s another few months at the most?”  
In turn, they used every chance, opportunity and excuse they could think of to get just five minutes alone; not to “do anything”, per say, but just to be together without being watched over by five other people. And they were very lucky if they managed to get in a whole five minutes before someone found them.  
But one day, a miracle happened and everyone was away from the cabin. Claire had gone to another family settled on Fraser’s Ridge to assist a birth and had taken Lizzie. Jamie had been gone for a few days already because he had been called to Wilmington to meet with Tryon on some issue or another that Jamie had no interest in discussing with him. Then lastly, Brianna, with Murtagh accompanying her, went out to pick herbs for Claire that were running low in her supply and needed refilling. So, Skylar and Ian were taking advantage of every minute they had the Ridge to themselves.   
Ian currently had Skylar pressed against a tree with one of his hands next to her head and the other firmly holding her hip. She gripped her fingers in his hair and they were feverously making out. They had been going at it for close to a half hour and their lips were past swollen, but they continued anyway, ignoring their soreness.   
Pulling away for a second just to catch his breath, he told her, panting, “Christ, I could kiss ye all day and never tire of it.”  
Also breathing heavily, she cupped his face and replied, “I’m not stopping you.”   
They smiled at each other for a moment and quickly connected their mouths again.   
Without speaking it out loud, they both knew that this may be the only opportunity they would have likely until they were married to finally break the sexual tension that had only been building exponentially since the day they met. But not knowing when anyone could get back and then come looking for them was too big of a risk to take, so neither brought it up.   
Ian took his mouth off of hers and placed feather light kisses down her jaw. When he reached her neck, he continued down, but replacing pecks with long slow kisses. Skylar closed her eyes and let her head fall to the side to give him easier access. At the base of her neck, the part right above her collarbone, he bit her skin; not too hard, but she definitely felt it and she gasped. He sucked the spot to soothe the slight pain. She couldn’t hold back a quiet moan as he did. Something about that particular part of her body sent fire through her and she held his head there to give it more attention. He understood and sucked harder, nipping at it as well. She gave up trying to keep her breathing steady and bit her lip to keep in as much noise as possible inside. Ian pushed against her as flush as he could and squeezed her hips so tight he was sure there would be bruises the next day.   
“Get a room you two.”  
Ian jumped back from Skylar so fast it was as if he had been electrocuted. They looked and saw Bree, chuckling in amusement at what she had walked in on.   
They stood a good six feet apart from each other, both of their faces three shades of red, as Bree and Murtagh continued past them. Murtagh kept a stern gaze on Ian until he couldn’t keep his head turned anymore. Jamie clearly had instructed him to watch the two in his absence to make sure they didn’t get up to anything; or more like, make sure Ian didn’t try anything.   
When Brianna and Murtagh were out of sight, the young couple released the breaths they were holding in. They looked at each other and just started laughing. Whatever mood was being made was completely gone now.  
“I should help Bree refill the herbs,” Skylar said.  
“Aye, and I need te tend te the animals. With Murtagh.”  
“Good luck with that. That should be fun.”  
Ian closed the space between the two, grabbed her face, and kissed her long and filled with infatuation.  
“Who knows when we’ll be able te do that again,” he told her, keeping his forehead against hers.   
“Patience, my love. They can’t oversee us forever. I’ll be your wife before long and then we’ll have ample privacy with a cabin and a bed of our own.” She kissed him one last time then pulled away. “Go to work!” she ordered, shoving him playfully. She smiled at him and walked away, feeling his gaze on her as she went inside.   
Bree looked up when she came into the cabin. “Able to pull yourself away, I see,” she teased.  
Skylar blushed but chuckled and sat down at the table across from the red haired girl.   
“Believe me, it wasn’t by choice. Please don’t tell Dad.”  
“Don’t tell him that you and your boyfriend were basically getting to first base against a tree? Don’t worry, I won’t. Murtagh’s the one you’ll need to bribe to keep quiet though.”  
“Ian’s with him now, so hopefully he’ll find some way to convince Murtagh he didn’t see anything.”  
“He better. Da nearly throws Ian across the room when he just gives you a kiss, so he would not like to hear about this.”  
“He takes the loving and protective father role very seriously.”  
“Yeah, I found that out too. He, like, pretended to attack me to get me to believe the rape wasn’t my fault.”  
“And did it work?”  
Bree hesitated. “More or less.”  
“I’m honestly so surprised at how he’s being after he found out about your assault.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“After Bonnet on the riverboat, it almost tore us apart. The guilt he felt over it was so overpowering that he couldn’t talk to me or look at me. He couldn’t even be in the same room as me. It took more than a week for me to get him to sit him down and listen to me.”  
“That’s awful.”  
“It really was. But that’s why I’m surprised, but extremely glad, that he’s not avoiding you. I don’t know, we had really been building out father/daughter relationship then and I think he felt he had failed as a father because he couldn’t save his daughter from getting hurt and every time he saw me he was reminded of that.” She then realized what that statement might have come across as. “I-I didn’t mean, um…I’m not saying at all that he thinks any less of your attack because he can look at you. I know that it’s destroying him that you were hurt and he would do anything to have stopped it. I just-just, um, I-”  
“Skylar,” she interrupted, “it’s okay. I didn’t take any offense. He hadn’t even met me yet then. Of course he would’ve reacted differently having already had such a deep relationship with you. And it’s probably because of that that he can be around me. You know what everyone says, parents make their mistakes on the first kid so that on the second they know better. Though usually it’s the older sister that that happens with, not the younger.”   
“Sister?” Skylar repeated.  
“Of course. We’re both the daughters of Jamie and Claire Fraser, so I’ve been thinking of you as my sister. Is that okay? You don’t have to think the same of me if you don’t want to.”   
Skylar smiled at that. “I was an only child back in my time, so the fact that I have an older brother _and_ an older sister now just makes me feel really really happy.” Bree smiled back at her.  
“I never had any siblings either, so _I’m_ really really happy that I now have the best little sister I never knew I needed. And as my first act as big sister, can I give you some advice? Da’s coming back sometime today most likely, so you’ll wanna cover that up before he gets home and sees it.” She pointed to her own neck, telling Skylar that there was something on hers. Panic filled the girl’s eyes as she leapt up and ran to the mirror.  
“Omigod.” Ian’s bite was starting to form a good sized hickey. If Jamie saw this, Ian was dead. “How do I cover this?”  
“I have an extra scarf you can use that’s the same color as the one you’re already wearing. Just overlap them and make sure the second one pulled up as high as you can get it.”  
“Ugh! I’m gonna kill Ian!”  
Bree laughed. “You didn’t seem too unhappy about it while he was making that.”  
Skylar struggled looking for words to argue back with, but there were none. So she just said, “Shut up.”  
Bree went out to her and Lizzie’s shelter to get the other scarf and helped fit it around Skylar’s neck so that the hickey was fully covered.   
Once they had finished with the herbs, Skylar went outside to work in the garden. Ian was chopping firewood when he saw her come out and called to her. “Yank!”  
She involuntarily smiled seeing him, as she always did, and went over to him.  
When she got closer, he scrunched his eyebrows together and asked, “Why are ye wearin’ two scarves?”   
“You can tell?” She seemed very displeased by that.   
“Aye, one’s color is darker than the other.”  
“Shit. Is it like, really noticeable. Like, odd noticeable?”  
“Why are you so worried about this?”   
She looked around to make sure Murtagh wasn’t nearby before she said, “Because Dad cannot see this,” She pulled down Brianna’s scarf to show him the mark on her neck. Ian’s eyes went wide.  
“Did _I_ do-”  
“Yes, yes you did. And if Dad sees it, you’re dead.” She readjusted the cloth so that the hickey was completely covered again.   
“Why am I the only one who gets in trouble fer these things? Ye come on te me just as much as I do ye.”  
She put on the most sweet innocent voice as she said, “Because I’m the pure little angel who has never been touched by a man and would never dream of partaking in anything that would risk my virtue.” He rolled his eyes at the “protect her virtue” excuse. He was just as sick of it as she was. She continued, bringing her voice back to normal. “You, on the other hand,” she pushed him by his chest against the tree they were in front of and got as close to him as she could, “are a man of loose morals who has had women before.” She dragged her hands down his sides to his hips, making him shiver. She kept one hand pushed against him, and used the other to pull his shirt collar down slightly to expose his collar bone. She kissed painfully slow across it and the base of his neck as she went on, “So obviously, _you_ are the one who would try to seduce _me_. It could never be the other way around.” She could hear him take long deep breaths, trying to keep his breathing from getting too heavy. She grinned to herself in amusement at the effect she had on him, though knowing full well he had the same effect on her.   
She grazed her teeth on a spot of his neck. She did not want to leave any sort of mark as evidence, but she still wanted him to be able to feel it. She sucked very gently on it, and when her hot breath hit his slightly wet skin, he let a quiet moan escape his throat and his hands shot to her backside, pulling her in closer.   
Skylar looked up at him. He was looking down to her as well, his face flushed and his pupils were so big that his eyes were basically black. She stood on her toes and kissed him softly, though Ian responded much more hungrily. She let him have this for a few seconds before she forced herself from him and put a foot of distance between them.  
“Now Ian, what would Dad say?” she teased him with her sweet voice again.  
“Yer cruel,” he said back, almost glaring at her. He was panting by now.  
“I have no idea what you mean. I would never try to tempt you with anything indecent.” She bit her lip and gave him a smirky smile, then walked away, not looking back at him.  
Ian watched her go, focusing on how fitted her pants were and thanking the Lord that she had chosen to wear them that day. But at the same time, he was desperately trying to ignore the growing tightness of his own. This was one of the few times he was thankful they slept in separate spaces.   
Jamie got back just before dinner that night. Skylar was obsessively pulling the scarf up, beyond terrified that it would slip and Jamie would see the mark on her neck. She kept glancing at Ian and could see he was anxious over it too but trying to hide it. He knew too well that it would be the end of him if his uncle saw what he had done to his daughter.   
Thankfully, they made it through the rest of the night without any problems. The next morning however…  
When Skylar woke up, she completely forgot about it and got dressed like usual, not thinking about the now significantly darker bruise being fully exposed. But she was reminded immediately when she walked outside to join everyone for breakfast and the first thing Jamie said to her was, “What in God’s name is on yer neck? And ye better tell me that’s the result of an unfortunate injury.”  
Skylar stuttered, trying to think of something on the fly. But she wasn’t fast enough. Ian came out at that moment and when Jamie saw him, he jumped up and pinned Ian against the shelter. He had drawn his knife out of angry instinct but didn’t press it against his nephew’s throat, even though that’s what he was wanting more than anything to do.   
Skylar was able to separate her father from the 18 year old who looked like he was about to pass out from fear.   
Jamie’s blood pressure started to come down as Skylar swore to him that Ian hadn’t “robbed her of her virtue,” like Jamie had threateningly accused him of just two seconds before.   
When he was no longer seeing red, he sheathed his knife and said to Ian, keeping his voice as calm as he could, “I apologize fer jumpin’ on ye like that. But if I find out that she’s lyin’ and ye bedded her out of wedlock, it’ll be yer head te pay, lad.”  
Skylar told Ian that it was probably in his best interest for him to have little interaction with her for at least the rest that day. Ian agreed and didn’t come within 3 feet of her for that day and the next. By the second day after the near murder, Jamie seemed to have moved on from it and never brought it up again; though he was now supervising the young couple even more closely. Skylar made sure to keep her neck covered until the hickey was fully gone five days later with Claire’s help.


	47. Yes

The day had begun very calmly and peacefully. Brianna and Lizzie were still asleep, so everyone else, with Murtagh joining them, were in the cabin having breakfast while waiting for the other two. Jamie and Murtagh were discussing the future of the still when they were interrupted by Brianna rushing in crying, “Where is Roger? Lizzie told me Roger was here and Jamie beat him.”  
No one said anything in response, too stunned, and confused, to speak.  
“I thought Roger went back,” Claire stated, going to her daughter.   
“Yeah, I thought so too. But he didn’t, did he?” She shot that directly to Jamie. “What did you do to him?”  
Skylar didn’t react. She didn’t think it was her place, so she just resigned to observing silently unless prompted. She and the others stared at Jamie, waiting for him to say something. He looked like his brain was spinning, trying to put different pieces of some puzzle together that he didn’t think fit.   
“Your hand,” Claire said to him, referencing his still healing hand from over a week ago.  
Brianna continued, “It’s true, isn’t it?”  
“I think I’ll, uh, wait outside. Skylar, Ian,” Murtagh said standing up from the table, beckoning the two teenagers to follow him.  
But before Ian was out of his chair, Bree stopped him. “No, _he_ stays. He was involved with this too. Weren’t you, cousin?”  
“Ian, what is she talking about? What – involved?” Skylar pressed. He didn’t look at her. “What happened? What did you do?” She looked from Ian to Jamie and back again.  
Murtagh put his hand on her shoulder and led her out. “Come, lass. Best te leave them.”  
Skylar sat against the door with the whole side of her head pressed against it trying to hear something. But she couldn’t make out any actual words, only muffled yelling.   
“Ye shouldna fret, lass. They’ll tell us what they need te once they’ve finished,” Murtagh told her.   
“My dad and the man who may as well be my fiancé obviously fucked up majorly and they’re in there discussing it. I should be in on this, I’m a part of this family too. Whatever business involves them involves me.”  
“Fer yer own safety, it’s better that yer out here. If Bree has half the temper Jamie has, I wouldna be surprised if she started throwin’ punches.”  
There was a loud crash from inside that made Skylar jump and her head whipped back to the door.   
“Jesus, what did they do?” She asked Murtagh, “Dad didn’t tell you anything?”  
He shook his head. “I’m just as in the dark as ye are.”  
It got quiet and neither of them knew it that was a good thing or a bad thing. Skylar stood up and away from the door, hoping that they would come out. And they did. Brianna was the first. She went past Skylar without looking at her and right into her shelter followed by Claire and Lizzie.  
Skylar looked inside and saw Ian sitting at the table holding his nose and blood coming down his hand.  
“Ian!” she exclaimed and sprinted to him. “What the hell?” She lowered his hand and saw he had a bloody nose. “What happened?”  
“Brianna’s anger,” Jamie answered for him.  
“She punched you?” Ian just nodded.  
 _Omigod, I’m so mad that Murtagh was right._  
She sighed and went to fill a basin with water and got some clean clothes. She didn’t notice Jamie go outside to talk with Murtagh. She was too focused on cleaning Ian.  
She wiped the blood off that was dripping down his nose and off his hand. She gave him one of the other clothes and instructed him to pinch his nose with it and lean forward.   
“Don’t try to breathe through your nose, just use your mouth.” They sat silently for 30 seconds until she couldn’t take it anymore. “So, are you going to tell me what that was all about?”  
“It was a horrible misunderstanding,” he said, trying to get his eyes to look up at her while still bent forward.   
“Please explain more.”  
“Lizzie said that she saw the man who had raped Brianna arrive on our land. Uncle Jamie found him and beat him close te death. But, it wasna the man. It was Roger, the one Bree said she had handfasted with in Wilmington.”  
“Okay, so what does that have to do with you.”  
Skylar heard him take a deep breath through his mouth and he slowly sat up, putting the bloody cloth on the table with the other one. “Uncle Jamie told me te get rid’a him. I rode around wi’ him, tryin’ te figure out what te do wi’ him. Then I came upon a group of Mohawk who were passin’ through on their way home.” He paused.  
“Go on,” Skylar pushed.  
He licked his lips and went on, “And I traded him.”  
Skylar eyebrows shot up. “I’m sorry. You-you _what_? Repeat that.”  
“I traded Roger te the Mohawk, and they left wi’ him.”  
“Do I dare ask what you got in return?”  
He raised the large circular ornament hanging on the necklace around his neck. “They gave me this.”  
“You told me you got that trading with the _Cherokee_. So you were just lying to me about all of this.”  
“I didna lie about everythin’. I just didna tell ye that one part.”  
“’That one part’ is still a lie by omission, and a very big one.”  
“Uncle Jamie told me and Lizzie we were not te say a word te anyone. He didna even tell Auntie Claire. And ye bein’ Brianna’s sister, I couldna tell ye about it because I kent ye would repeat it te her.”  
“She had the right to know! If it really was the man who attacked her, she should’ve known that he had been here but that he was taken care of so she didn’t have to worry anymore. And if you or Dad told her right away, we could’ve gone after the Mohawk and gotten to them before they were a month ahead of us and got Roger back.”  
“I know, and I will be repentin’ fer this fer the rest of my life. But I truly thought I was helpin’ her dispose of the monster who violated her. I didna ken it was her husband, nor did I ken what each man looked like. But now that I know both’s face, I fully realize the damage I’ve caused and I intend te make it right.”  
“What do you mean you know who both of them are? You know who raped her?” He closed his eyes, wishing he could take that back. “Ian.”  
He opened his eyes and looked in hers square on. “It was Stephen Bonnet.”  
The world instantly became hazy around her and her vision was going in and out. She gripped the table to keep herself from fainting. She couldn’t breathe. “Stephen Bonnet?” she whispered, barely audible. Ian didn’t answer her, he just kept staring at her with anguish and guilt.   
_In, 2, 3. Out, 2, 3,_ she kept saying in her head, making sure that she kept breathing so a panic attack would set in. _How does he keep finding a way to show up? Why our family? He’s hurt everyone in our family. Why can’t he just die?_  
Ian knew not to touch her or say anything while she digested this. So he just sat and waited until she was ready to speak again.  
It took her almost five minutes to bring her out of a dangerous headspace, but she was finally able to and opened her eyes.   
“Your nose is still bleeding,” was the first thing she said to Ian. “You need to keep the cloth on it and lean forward again.” He did as she said, but kept looking up at her as best he could.  
“I’m sorry I lied te ye, Yank. I didna think it would all come out like this. I really did believe we were doin’ the right thing.”  
“I know you did. I’m not as upset about what you did as I am that you kept it from me. If we’re going to be married, we cannot lie to each other. I’ve heard Dad and Claire say this to each other, and I think it’s a good rule to go by. We can have secrets, but not lies. You can have certain things that you can keep to yourself, but you cannot keep the truth from me. And that goes both ways. Agreed?”  
“Of course. I will never lie te ye again, I promise ye.”  
“Okay. Now, what are we doing to get Roger back?”

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Everyone kept a distance from each other until later that night when they gathered around the fire to discuss their plan to find Roger. Even still, Claire and Jamie were the farthest apart Skylar had ever seen them, and from the look on Claire’s face, it was clear she did not want to be any closer to her husband than was necessary. Skylar sat with Ian on one of the logs and Jamie and Murtagh stood on their own.  
“Will they kill him?” was Brianna’s first question. She was pacing back and forth near her mother, looking like she could throw up any second; but whether from stress over Roger or pregnancy sickness, Skylar couldn’t tell. Likely both.  
“I don’t think so,” Ian told her. “The Cherokee say the Mohawks are fierce but honorable, and the ones I met seemed so. They won’t kill him if he’s of use te them.”  
“But what use could he be? What would they be able to use him for?” Skylar asked.  
“It’s said that they adopt folk into their tribe in order to replace those that are killed or die of sickness.”  
Skyla didn’t quite understand. “So, they would just make him a Mohawk?”  
“Essentially. When I gave him te them, they gave me this and-” He touched the necklace he had shown Skylar, but Bree cut him off before he could finish.  
“So that was your price?” she spat at him.  
A look of extreme regret fell over his face. “Aye, it was I suppose.”  
Skylar couldn’t stop herself from firing back at her sister. “Okay, Boomer. He thought he was helping you. He made a mistake taking the necklace. He gets it. Back off.” Everyone was confused by the term “Boomer” that she used in her outburst and looked at her questioningly. “I’m sorry, Bree. I shouldn’t have snapped at you,” she apologized quietly, ignoring the question everyone was silently throwing at her.   
She couldn’t help herself from making the comment. It made her mad that Brianna had basically forgiven Lizzie right off the bat for her mistake that caused everything, yet she treated Ian and Jamie so cold. And with knowing Brianna had been born in 1948, the classic “okay, Boomer” from her time was the first thing that came into her head.   
“It’s okay,” Bree said back, and they went back to their discussion.   
Ian continued where he left off, “I was only goin’ te say that this,” he held up the ornament again, “will help us find their village.”  
“Aye, yer cousin and I will find him. We’ll trade all we have, whiskey, cloth, coin,” Jamie promised Bree. But she did not agree with the idea.  
“You think I’m letting the two of you go and find him alone? You’re insane. You’ve done enough damage. We’re all going.”  
“Absolutely,” Skylar supported.   
“They’re weeks ahead of us,” Ian said. “If they dinna stop, we’ll be laggin’ behind fer months.”  
That didn’t put off Bree. “So we’ll go faster.”  
“Not wi’ a lass wi’ child among us,” Jamie put in. “If we must go all the way te New York, there and back it is four months’ time or more.” Brianna knew that was true and that she couldn’t go, and it only made her feel so much worse about the whole situation.  
“Brianna,” Claire called to her, and gestured her head to follow her. The two went a little ways from the group to talk together.   
Skylar tried to listen in on what they were saying. They weren’t speaking too quietly, so she could hear some. Bree explained to Claire that she was keeping the baby on the slightest of chances that it could Roger’s and so she understood that she would slow them down. But she told Claire that she needed to go with them in her place.  
“No, absolutely not!” Claire argued.   
“Mama, he’s gonna need a doctor.”  
“I am not leaving you alone here, not in a million years.”  
“I’ll have Lizzie, I’ll be fine.”  
“I am not leaving you and Lizzie here alone!”  
“Then think of something else!”  
“Aunt Jocasta,” Jamie spoke up. “It’s the safest place.”  
“But River Run’s in the wrong direction. We’d never catch up wi’ the Mohawk,” Ian reminded them.  
“I’ll take her,” Murtagh volunteered. “I remember Jocasta from Leoch. It’s been an age, but I remember.”  
Jamie added, “And I’ll write her a letter, explainin’ everythin’. Lizzie can wi’ ye and Skylar.”  
“Excuse me?” Skylar cried. “I’m not going to River Run. I’m going with you.”  
“No. We dinna ken what dangers we’ll have te face and I will not put in harm’s way.”  
“I think we all know by now that I am more than capable of handling myself.”  
“Uncle Jamie’s right, Sky,” Ian said. “Yer no comin’ wi’ us.”  
“Yes, I am! Brianna is my sister and I need to help get her husband back.” She gripped Ian’s hand as she followed with, “And I am not going to be apart from you for that long. We can barely go a week without each other.”  
“I will not risk ye gettin’ hurt or worse. I’d sooner die, and this is too much of a risk.”  
“Ye are goin’ wi’ Brianna te River Run if I have te tie ye up and throw ye in the back of the wagon,” Jamie said to her. “Ye are goin’, end of discussion.”  
“This is such bullshit!” she yelled.  
“Skylar,” Claire came over and kneeled in front of her, “I need you to be there with her since I can’t. You know about birthing and can assist if anything were to happen. Please, darling. If you want to help your sister, you’ll do this for her.”  
Skylar ground her teeth together and flared her nostrils as she breathed heavy. She looked to the side as she thought for a moment, then looked back to Claire. “Fine. I’ll go.” And that was all she said, not in any way happy about the decision but going along with it.  
“It’s settled then. We leave tomorrow,” Bree decided, then aimed her last thought at Jamie. “You’re going to bring him back to me.” Then she turned and walked away to be alone for a bit.  
“Ye told me he’d gone back. How was I te know?” Jamie said to Claire. “Ye knew it was Stephen Bonnet and said naught te me.”  
“You told me you hit a tree,” was Claire’s reply and she walked away as well towards the cabin.  
Jamie called after her, “No, ye said that. I just let ye believe it. I didna want ye thinkin-” He stopped when she slammed the door shut.  
The remaining four were quiet. The only noise was the cracking of the fire. Skylar interlocked her fingers with Ian’s and squeezed his hand tight, feeling tears coming on about what was to come the next day. Ian raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. She looked to him and could see he didn’t like this either, but that it had to be this way. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her, taking her hand again with his free one.   
“I must ask one more favor of ye,” Jamie said suddenly to Murtagh. “When ye’ve delivered my daughters te River Run, head te Wilmington. Find Stephen Bonnet.”  
Skylar tensed at hearing his name and Ian held her tighter.   
Murtagh started to ask, “The man who-”   
But Jamie answered him quickly, “Aye. Bring him te me in secret. I’m gonna kill him.”  
Skylar didn’t look up but she heard Jamie walk away.   
Once everyone had some time to process, they all had to get ready to leave the next morning. They packed all of their clothes, any food they could, and those going to New York brought blankets, all the medical supplies Claire found room for, and items to trade with the Mohawk or any other Native American tribes they would meet along the way that could help them. Jamie also took time to write his letter to Jocasta, as well as another that he told no one about but Murtagh, and a separate note that went with it. He gave the second letter to Murtagh to mail in Wilmington.   
When they felt they were all as prepared as they could be, they spread around their tract of land to really mentally prepare for each of their journeys . Brianna, who had been in the shelter gathering her thoughts, came outside to find Claire. But she first found Skylar and Ian sitting as close together as they could, her head on his shoulder and his on top of hers, holding hands. They weren’t talking and they looked heartbroken. As angry as she still was at Ian for what he did, she felt for them because she knew how hard this separation was going to be for them. So, she came up with an idea and walked over to them.   
“Skylar?” she said softly. The girl looked up at her and forced herself separate from Ian.  
“Yeah, Bree?” Bree could hear the twinge of sadness in her voice.  
“I had a favor to ask you. Would you be okay with it if Lizzie and I slept inside the cabin tonight with Mama, and you would stay in our shelter? I’d like to spend some more time with her before they leave.”  
That instantly brightened the young couple since they knew what Bree was doing.   
“It’s more than okay,” Skylar told her, trying to hide her happiness.   
“Thank you, Sky. I really appreciate that.” She walked away, smiling a little at the small bit of joy she was able to give them.   
It was almost impossible to convince Jamie to let Skylar stay in Brianna’s shelter that night. He would have been extremely wary of it before, but after the “hickey incident,” he didn’t want any chances of her and Ian sharing a bed.  
Murtagh, again, stepped up. “I’ll stay wi’ her. I’ll make damn sure that no one leaves or comes in durin’ the night.”  
That hiccup to Skylar and Ian’s plan gave Jamie some peace and he allowed it. But though it was a hiccup, it wasn’t a dead end. Skylar waited until she was sure Murtagh had fallen asleep and as silently as she could possibly make herself be, she left her shelter and went into Ian’s.  
She hadn’t been as sneaky as she thought however. Murtagh had only been pretending to be asleep to give her the opportunity to leave. Though he knew full well what was more than likely going to happen, he, like Brianna, wanted to allow them this happiness together before the pain he fully understood they were going to feel the next morning.   
“Do you really have to go with them?” Skylar asked Ian when she had joined him. They were laying on his bed, his body wrapped around hers.  
“It’s me fault that Roger’s in this situation. I need te go and make it right.”  
“Why I can’t I come? Nothing will happen to me. I’ll be fine.”  
“I ken that ye’ll be safe at River Run. Please, love, allow me that comfort.”  
She sighed. “I just can’t stand not being with you.”  
“I ken, Yank. I hate it too. I dinna want a day te go by when I’m no around ye.” She pushed herself back to press closer against him, and it was quiet for a few minutes. Ian had been thinking about something all night since their plan of action was decided, and he had debated with himself on whether to actually do it. He came to the conclusion that he needed to, so, before he lost the courage, he said, “Marry me, Skylar.”  
“Is this your official asking of the question you already know the answer to?”  
“I mean, marry me tenight. Now.”   
She thought that she must’ve misunderstood what he meant and turned to face him, their noses ending centimeters apart.   
“What, tonight? You mean handfast?”  
“I love ye more than I can ever put inte words. I dinna want te waste another minute where yer no mine and I’m no yers.” Skylar didn’t respond right away. She was trying to process what he had just proposed, literally. After a few seconds of her not saying anything, he added, “When I’m back, we’ll be able te have the real weddin’ and make it legal and bindin’ wi’ everyone there te witness. But we dinna ken how long I’ll be gone fer. It could easily be upwards of half a year, and I canna stand te be away from ye fer that long wi’out ye already bein’ me wife. Yer my whole world, Sky, and it’ll be make it the least bit easier te be apart if I know that Mistress Murray is waitin’ fer me back home. Marry me, Yank.”  
She made herself not interrupt him with her answer until he was done speaking. The she very easily told him, “Yes.” She put her hand on his cheek and repeated, “Yes, Ian. I will marry you tonight.”  
Ian’s eyes glowed. He had never smiled bigger than he was now. Skylar returned that smile and he kissed her, long and sweet.   
“I love ye so much, Yank.”  
“Youngin’, you have no idea.”  
They kissed once more, and Skylar was the first to move off the bed. Ian followed her and beckoned her to kneel with him.  
“Do you know this works?” she asked.  
“I’ve no seen it done. But I’ve heard how it goes plenty’a times. I ken that first we need something te tie our hands tegether.”  
“Here.” Skylar took out the ribbon that was holding her hair, letting her hair fall free around her shoulders, and held it out to him. “Will this work?”  
“Christ, yer beautiful,” he responded, taking the ribbon without looking away from her. Skylar smiled and blushed, feeling shy all of a sudden. He took her hands and wrapped the ribbon around them. “Repeat after me.” He looked deep into her eyes, seeing hers full of love towards him and he couldn’t breathe for a moment, not believing that this was actually happening. He cleared his throat to bring him back to Earth, and started to recite, “I, Young Ian James Fitzgibbons Fraser Murray, take ye, Skylar Anne Kelley Fraser, to be my lawful wedded wife. With my goods I thee endow, with my body I thee worship, in sickness and in health, in richness and poverty, so long as we both shall live, I plight thee my troth.”  
Skylar felt like she was in a dream as she repeated the words, “I, Skylar Anne Kelley Fraser, take you, Young Ian James Fitzgibbons Fraser Murray, to be my lawful wedded husband. With my goods I thee endow, with my body I thee worship, in sickness and in health, in richness and poverty, so long as we both shall live, I plight thee my troth.”  
Trying to keep his grin from taking over his entire face, Ian finished with, “I now pronounce us husband and wife.”  
Her cheeks hurting from her permanent smile, she ended, “You may kiss the bride.”  
He unwrapped their hands and cupped her cheek so softly it was like he was scared of breaking her. They stayed like that, looking at each other for a moment, then at last shared their first kiss as husband and wife. They put everything they felt for each other in that kiss and neither wanted to break away. They wanted nothing more than to live in this one moment forever.  
“I canna believe it,” Ian said, once they separated. “Yer me wife, at last. We’re married.”  
Skylar stroked his face and smiled sweetly at him. Then she took a deep breath and said, “Well, we’re not _officially_ married yet.”  
“I ken that this will only last a year, but it’s like I told ye, as soon as I’m home, we’ll–”  
“Ian,” she stopped him. “I meant, there’s still something we have to do to make _this_ marriage official.” She took his hand and placed it on her breast to get him to understand what she was saying.   
He looked at where she put his hand and swallowed hard. He looked back to her. “Are ye sure?”  
“I’ve been wanting this for so long, and now, I want to make love to my husband.”   
She leaned back into him and pressed her mouth against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he grabbed her waist, his grip tightening as their kiss grew more passionate. Skylar let her body take over and she pushed him to sit, straddling his lap. When Ian started kissing the sensitive part of her neck he had discovered before, she let out a small moan and ground her hips against his. She continued the motion and soon felt something grow under her. Ian knew it too and pulled from her, looking away and extremely embarrassed.   
She moved his face back to hers. She kissed him gently and said, “It’s okay. It’s kinda what needs to happen, isn’t it?”  
Ian wasn’t a virgin, but he may as well be. Brighid hadn’t been anyone special. She was just a pretty girl who he was using to distract himself from his feelings for his then-best friend. And then Geillis. He had sex with her, yes, but those weren’t acts of love. That was a manipulative tool that she forced on him and he wanted nothing more than to erase that time from his head forever. What was about to happen now was something beautiful and real with the woman who owned his heart, with his wife. And so, though he had been waiting for this and wanting it for an excruciating amount of time, he was slightly nervous now that it was here.   
Skylar, feeling the exact same way, took her husband’s hands and helped him stand up. She moved them back to sitting on the bed and she said, “Let’s take this slow, yeah?”  
Ian nodded. “Yes.” He leaned into her again and continued their kiss.

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They stayed pressed against each other, even though they were both hot and sweaty. They continued to kiss eagerly, but no longer full of wild lust as they had less than a minute ago.   
They separated, both breathing heavily, and Ian said, “Do ye remember when I told ye I felt nothin’ when I laid wi’ Brighid and ye said she must not have been the right one te be me first?”  
“Yes.”  
He kissed her again, then pulled back and finished, “Well, ye were right. Cause wi’ her was nothin’ any way close te what it was just like with ye.” He pressed his mouth to hers again and they continued without interruption for several minutes with their hands still wandering over the other’s body as much as they could touch.  
When they felt they needed to take a break, Ian laid on his back with his arm wrapped around her and pulled her in close to him. He very tenderly stroked up and down her arm. She curled into his side and placed a hand on his bare chest, drawing on it with her fingers.   
“Was it, uh…was it okay, fer ye?” he asked her.  
She smiled. “It was more than okay, Ian. I really _really_ liked it. You couldn’t tell?”  
“I’ve just heard that lasses generally don’t enjoy it the first time.”  
“Well, it did hurt at the beginning and for the first few minutes. But when the pain did go away, it felt…incredible and explosive,” those being the only words that could come halfway close. “Did _I_ do it right? Did _you_ like it?”  
“Oh, Christ yes. I didna think it was possible fer anythin’ te ever feel like that.”  
“It was worth the wait then?”  
“So much more than worth it.” He cupped her cheek and just looked at her for a moment before kissing her affectionately. He pulled back from her and stroked his thumb on her cheek. “I wish so much that ye were the only girl I’ve laid with.”   
“That doesn’t matter. I couldn’t care less about you being with others before me.”   
“And though ye may not be my first, ye are the only one that matters and the only one I’ll ever be with fer the rest of me life.”  
“And as a now ex-virgin, I’m so so happy that my first and last is you, my husband.” He smiled at her with a look of such adoration and unconditional love it prompted her to strain her neck up to meet him and he met her halfway to her to kiss her.  
He laid his head back on his pillow and said, “I wish I had a ring te give ye. It doesna feel right te be able te call ye me wife wi’out somethin’ that says yer mine.”  
“I don’t need one.”  
“But what if while I’m gone, ye meet some other lad who tries te claim ye, thinkin’ yer free?”  
“Then I punch him in the neck and send him running.” He laughed. She then thought of something they could use. “Here.” She sat up, not bothering to hold up the blanket to cover her chest. She held onto the charm on her necklace, that even now she was still wearing, and took a breath. She kissed it and then unclasped the necklace, taking it off. She looked back at him and saw he was sitting as well. She moved herself so she was facing him and held it out to him. “You can wear this while you’re gone.”  
He looked slightly shocked at her offer. “Yank, that’s the necklace yer mother gave ye. In all this time I’ve known ye, ye’ve never once taken it off.”  
“I know that, and I want you to wear it.”  
“I canna ask ye te-”  
“You’re not asking me, I’m telling you.” Before he could object again, she reached around his neck to put it on him. “This is my wedding ring to you, for the time being at least. When you’re all alone on the road, you’ll know that even though I’m not physically there with you, I’m wishing I was and that I’ll be thinking about you every minute of every day until I’m holding your hand again.” He grasped the charm in his fist, not taking his eyes off her. “Also,” she added, laying down on her back, “it’s a good way to tell any bonny lasses you meet that you have a wife waiting for you back home.”  
“I willna even look at any other girl until I am wi’ ye once more.” He kissed her again, then laid next to her, propped on his elbow.   
She stared at him, taking in just how lucky she was to be able to call this man hers.   
His hair had come out of his classic ponytail at some point during the workout they just endured, so she tucked some strands that were falling in his face behind his ear and ran her fingers through his red-blonde waves. She rarely saw him with his hair down and she loved it when he did.   
“You have beautiful hair,” she told him.   
He smiled at her and replied with, “Ye have a beautiful everythin’.” He moved on top of her and started kissing her neck. Her eyes fluttered shut and she held onto his back. She could feel on his shoulder blades where her nails had dug into him earlier.   
She quickly rolled them over so he was under her and continued to makeout. They could feel themselves starting to heat up again.   
“You know,” she said, going to his neck and kissing or biting him between nearly every word that followed, “as amazing and wonderful as that was, there’s always room for improvement.” She moved to the other side of his neck. “And the only way to get better at something is to do it again and again and again.” She brought her face back up to him. She touched his nose with hers and kept her lips hovering just above his own, barely brushing them together.  
“So, what yer sayin’ is,” he said, his eyes going black again, “we should keep tryin’ until we get it perfect.” He dragged his hands down her back until they were gripping her butt.  
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” 

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Skylar snuck back into Brianna’s shelter as soon as the sky turned from black to dark blue so she would be there when Murtagh woke up. But the next few hours of that morning had a heavy feeling. Everyone was solemn, wary about what was coming.   
They were all making sure everything that needed to be packed and put on the horses and in the wagon was done.   
Ian and Skylar were taking some time on their own before they had to leave. They were standing a ways away from everyone else and just held each other, not saying anything. Skylar was trying with her entire being not to cry. Last night had been so unbelievably perfect, she didn’t want to ruin the glow they still felt from it. Instead, she just tightened her hold on him.   
“Na caoin mo ghaol,” he whispered into her neck. He could tell she was holding back tears. “We’ll be together again soon.” He stroked the back of her head, trying to comfort her, as well as himself.   
“Skylar! Ian!” Jamie called to them. “It’s time te go.”  
Instinctively, they squeezed each other harder, not wanting to let go. They pulled from their embrace and stared into each other’s eyes. Their mouths met and they kissed fervidly, as if they would die without the other’s lips against theirs.  
They kept their foreheads pressed together when they separated. Ian kept a firm grip on her hips and Skylar closed her arms around his neck.   
They stayed like that for a couple extra minutes, and shared another long and loving kiss. They then made their way, slowly, to the group, hand in hand.   
She walked with Ian to his horse and they knew this is where they had to part.   
She placed both hands on his chest and he held onto her upper arms as she said, “You come back to me, Ian Murray. Promise me that you’ll come back.”  
“I promise ye, my love. I swear it.” He cupped her face and went on, “I give ye me word on it, as yer husband.”  
“I can’t lose you again.” A couple tears trickled down her face.  
He wiped them away with his thumb. “Ye willna. I will return te ye, and then I will never leave ye again.”  
“I love you, Youngin’.”  
“I love ye, mo bhean.”  
Skylar kissed him deeply once last time, committing the feeling of his lips on hers to memory, and then made herself walk away. She needed to just rip off the band-aid or she never would. She could feel him watching her as she did, but she kept herself from looking back at him.   
She got over to the others in time to hear Jamie say to Brianna, “I will find him, lass. I willna rest until I do. Ye have me word.”  
“I’ll hold you to that vow,” Brianna replied, her voice and expression cold towards him. He looked at her for another beat then turned his gaze to Skylar.  
Skylar took a breath then hugged him, Jamie hugging her back.   
“Please be careful, Dad” she said to him. “If anything were to happen to you…I finally have a father. I can’t lose you now.”  
“Dinna fash, Skylar. I promise I will return te ye in one piece.” They pulled apart and he gave her a small smile. He touched her face very fondly then went to his horse.   
She walked with Claire and Brianna over to the wagon where Lizzie stood.  
“You take good care of my daughters, Lizzie,” Claire told her, wrapping her arm tight around Bree and taking Skylar’s hand tight to squeeze it.  
“Aye, Mistress. I will,” Lizzie promised, then took her place in the wagon.  
Claire turned to Skylar to say goodbye and hugged her. Skylar couldn’t help but cry. She had arrived in this alien-like world knowing no one and alone, and now the ones who took her in and called her their own were leaving. It was only for a while, but she still didn’t like it.  
“Darling,” Claire said, pulling back, “you’re going to be in very good hands. I promise, we’ll be back before you know it.”  
“I know,” she replied. “But I’m still going to miss you.”  
Claire gave her a long kiss on her forehead. “I’ll miss you too. And please, take care of yourself. You know he’s safe this time,” meaning Ian. Claire was worried that not knowing where Ian was would make her spiral back to bad habits from the Artemis.   
She nodded. “I will. Just make sure he doesn’t get himself killed.” She chuckled, half-joking.  
Claire smiled. “I will do my best.” They hugged again, then Skylar climbed on the wagon.   
She didn’t hear the tearful and heavyhearted goodbye Claire and Brianna shared. She had looked up from where she sat and her eyes locked with Ian’s on his horse from across the yard. Even now, when she knew they were about to be without each other for an unknown amount of time and her heart felt it was going to break in half, he still was able to calm her down without doing anything but just being there.   
She placed a long kiss on her hand and held it towards him, as if to send it to him. Not breaking his gaze from her, he wrapped his hand around the charm on her necklace that he was still wearing and that he would not take off until he was back with her.   
The wagon lurched forward as Murtagh urged the horses to go. She didn’t tear her eyes away from her husband until he was out of sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GAELIC  
> Na caoin mo ghaol – do not cry, my love  
> Mo bhean – my wife


	48. So Much Unexpected

The journey to River Run took a week, but it felt excruciatingly long. No one spoke much. They all were weighed down by the severity of the situation and just wanted it over with before it had even really started.  
Skylar was already missing Ian so much it was making her stomach hurt. The nausea also came from the concern that he was okay. Claire was right, she knew where he was and that he was safe. But she was so used to being worried about him when he was away that she couldn’t help it. Plus with all the talk he and Jamie had said about how the “unknown dangers they would meet on this journey” made it too risky for her to go, it only gave her more of a reason to be anxious about him facing it.  
When the wagon finally pulled up in front of the estate, she realized she had forgotten how big River Run was and was in awe of it all over again. But that awe diminished when she was saw the slaves working on the immediate land and she remembered the horrific end Rufus suffered that she was witness to.   
When they walked inside, they were almost immediately met by Ulysses. Skylar smiled seeing a familiar face.   
“Ulysses, it’s so good to see you again,” she greeted him.  
He bowed to her. “Miss Kelley, this is a most pleasant surprise. Have Mister and Mistress Fraser accompanied you as well?” He gave a glance over the strangers that had come in with her.  
“No, they’re…away, right now.”  
“We are here te see Mistress Cameron,” Murtagh stated.  
Putting his attention on Murtagh now, Ulysses asked, “May I inquire as to who is asking for her?”  
“He’s Jamie Fraser’s godfather,” Skylar told him.   
Murtagh handed him the letter from Jamie as proof, and seeing the Fraser seal on the back, Ulysses knew this was the truth.   
“Will you follow me?” He beckoned for another in house slave to open the parlor doors and he led the group inside. Jocasta was sitting in a chair knitting. Ulysses cleared his throat to let her know he was there.  
“What is it, Ulysses?” she said.   
“A letter, Mistress, from your nephew, written in his own hand.”  
Her voice got excited as she instructed him, “Well, read it, please.” She turned in the direction of him  
He opened the letter to read it, but Murtagh cut him off before he could say a word.  
“It says, ‘This letter is carried te ye by me godfather, Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser.’”  
A smile slowly spread across Jocasta’s face. “Murtagh? Is it you?”  
“Tis.”  
“Blessed bride, come closer.” He crossed to kneel in front of her and she took his hands. “Oh, aye. I’d know these hands anywhere. They told ye, no doubt, that me eyes have long failed me?”  
“Aye. Ye must’ve taken careful not of me hands te recall them after 30 years have passed.”  
Jocasta laughed. “How could I not? Ye could hardly keep them from my sister every day of her young life. Every time I looked at her, there ye were wi’ a hand held out te help her, or wi’ flowers in them fer her.”  
“Little good that did me in the end.”  
“Ye gained a godson, as I recall.”  
“That I did.”  
“I had no idea Murtagh was such a romantic when he was younger,” Skylar whispered very quietly to Bree, and she giggled in response. Jocasta heard them both.  
“Who else is here?” she asked.   
The two young women looked at each other, and Skylar figured it was better for her to announce herself first and then end with the surprise of Brianna.  
“It’s me, Great-Aunt. It’s Skylar.”  
“Oh, Skylar. Come here, my dear.” She held out a hand to her, and Skylar closed the space between them and took it. “How nice it is te hear yer voice again. Ye are well, I trust?”  
“Yes, Great-Auntie. I’m very well.”  
“Have Jamie, Claire nor Ian come wi’ ye?”  
“No. That’s, um, that’s why we’re here.” She looked back at Bree, trying to figure out how they should go about this.   
“I thought I heard another young lady with ye. Would she be so kind as te introduce herself?”  
Murtagh took it upon himself to do that. “This is Brianna, Jamie and Claire’s daughter form Boston.”  
Jocasta was understandably caught off guard by that statement, repeating, “Daughter?” to try to wrap her mind around it.   
“It’s a long story,” Brianna spoke up.   
Jocasta turned towards Ulysses again, curious for more details. “And what else does this letter say, Ulysses?”  
He went to start reading the letter again, but he was once more cut off, this time by Brianna. “It says that I am with child and unmarried. It asks that you look after me and Skylar, despite the mark it might bring to your good name, while my mother and Jamie search for the man to whom I have been handfast.”  
Skylar added on in her head, Along with the man to whom I am handfast.  
She wondered if this was something that she should tell Jocasta or if it would be better to keep it to herself. But she chose to not think about this at the moment when everything was getting explained.   
“That is about the extent of it, Mistress,” Ulysses told her, signaling there was nothing else for her to know from Jamie.  
Jocasta didn’t say anything as she processed this huge news. She then stood up and said to Bree, “Oh, my sweet girl. Come here close te me.” Skylar switched places with Bree as she went to Jocasta. The older woman touched her arms and face, giving her a very tender smile. “Of course ye may stay wi’ us. My dear, sweet girl.”  
Even though she couldn’t see her face, Skylar had a feeling she could feel Jamie’s spirit and personality radiating off of her. Like her father, it was something very hard to miss when you were in the same room as him.   
Jocasta let go of her new great-niece and said to the group, “Now, I’m sure ye are all tired after ye journey. Ulysses, will ye tell Phaedra and Mary te prepare their rooms?”  
“Of course, Mistress.” He walked out to follow his order.   
Jocasta then said to Skylar, “Yer room is still as ye left it last summer. I hope that it’ll still be t eyer likin’.”  
“I have no doubt at all that it will,” Skylar assured her.  
“If ye’ll follow me te the dinin’ room, we’ll get ye somethin’ te eat while we wait on yer rooms.”  
As they ate, Murtagh announced that he would be leaving the next morning and was headed for Wilmington for business that he gave no more details on. But Skylar knew it was to carry out the mission Jamie had given him; to find Stephen Bonnet. Skylar hoped and prayed that he would find Bonnet and Jamie would kill him seconds after having him. Or that Bonnet would already be dead by the time Murtagh found him. Either was fine with her, as long as it ended with the scum being dead.  
When asked, Bree gave the same story Jamie and Claire had told Fergus and Marsali about how she came to be here, and Jocasta bought it completely. They explained the whole situation that led them here, and how Jamie, Claire and Ian were on their way to New York to find Roger.  
Jocasta suddenly changed the subject and said to Skylar, “Thinkin’ of Ian, Skylar, my dear, I havena yet received any news of an engagement or marriage between the two’a ye. This there anythin’ of such on the horizon?”  
Skylar bit her lip. She had to decide in this split second on whether to say that she and Ian were already married or to hold off on any of that until he was back. She ended up deciding to say, “I have some very good news, actually. Ian and I are engaged.”  
Brianna was just as surprised as Jocasta was at this. Jocasta clasped her hands together and exclaimed happily, “Oh, that’s so wonderful. I’m so happy fer ye both. I told ye it would happen wi’in the year.”  
“When did he propose?” Brianna wanted to know.  
“The night before he left with Dad and Claire. When we were taking a moment alone to say goodnight,” she added quickly, glancing at Murtagh to make sure he wouldn’t know that she had snuck out, even though he was fully aware she had and that’s when it had happened. But he still wasn’t aware of _everything_ that had gone done when she was with Ian that night.  
Brianna went on, “Well, congratulations! That’s so great, I am thrilled for you two.” She squeezed Skylar’s hand.  
“Thank you,” she replied. “We’re hoping to marry as soon as he’s back.”  
Jocasta was positively giddy as she said, “I look forward te usin’ this time te start plannin’ everythin’ so as te give ye a truly magnificent weddin’.”  
Skylar just smiled, knowing there was no wat she would be able to convince Jocasta that that wasn’t necessary.   
When the rooms were ready, the three retreated upstairs. When Skylar walked into her room, she looked around and remembered all that had happened in here just a year ago; her not being able to sleep because of her internal debate on whether to marry Ian, telling him she was from the future, hearing and watching the mob form outside her window, and much much more.   
_Hopefully nothing as exciting will happen while we’re here this time. But somehow I highly doubt that could ever happen._  
“Come in,” she called when she heard a knock.  
Bree walked in and said in amazement, “I’m pretty sure my room is bigger than the entire cabin back at the Ridge.”  
“I know. This place is massive. It takes a little while to learn your way around here, especially outside.”  
As she crossed to sit on the bed, Brianna brought the conversation to what she was really interested in. “So, can you please explain why the hell you didn’t tell me you and Ian are engaged? That’s so huge!”  
“It was pretty sudden, and since we can’t do anything about it until he gets back, we just thought we should wait to say anything until he is,” she lied. Though it was really only a half-lie since their decision to handfast was very sudden and they couldn’t do anything to make it legal until he was home.  
“That’s so exciting! I’m so beyond happy for the two of you.”  
“I have a question for you too. Why didn’t you tell anyone it was Stephen Bonnet? Or me, at least? We spent so much time talking about your assault. I thought you were even more upset because you had no idea who he was or how to find him.”  
Brianna took a breath in and let it out. “I didn’t know it was him until Ian told me about his attack on the riverboat. And after hearing how guilty Da felt over that, I knew it would make him feel worse. I wanted to tell you. I felt so bad hiding it from you. But I know how badly he hurt you and I didn’t want to bring that all back up for you and potentially hurt you all over again.”  
“That’s all understandable. But,” she went to sit next to Bree, “please don’t hide things on my account. If you’re hurting, please share it with me. Don’t worry about how it’ll affect me. I am always here for you, no matter what. That’s what sisters are for. Okay?”  
Brianna went in to hug Skylar, but pulled back quickly and put a hand on her stomach. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly through her mouth.   
“You okay?” Skylar asked, though she knew what it was.  
When she opened her eyes again, Bree told her, “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just the nausea. All the rumors I’ve heard about morning sickness have proven to be true so far.”  
“It’s been awful watching you have to go through this. I can’t imagine needing to puke all the time.”  
“And pee. I apologize, again, for the constant stops on our way here.”  
“It’s not your fault. It’s this little monster that’s causing it.” She put her hand gently on Brianna’s bump that was just starting to appear.  
“The next few months are going to be crazy, to say the least.”  
“But it’ll all be worth it when you see your baby’s squishy little face.”  
“I might have some trouble remembering how cute he is when I’m waking up every two hours to screaming.”  
“Is the screaming going to be from the baby or Roger?” Skylar chuckled.   
Bree’s face got much more serious at hearing Roger’s name. She wrapped both arms around her stomach as if she was trying to hold her baby for comfort.  
Skylar touched her shoulder. “He’s going to be here before you know it, Bree. You’re going to have him back.”  
“But what if he doesn’t want to? What if when he hears that I’m pregnant and it might not be his, he decides I’m not worth it?”  
“Then you’re better off. If he loves you as much as you’ve been saying he does, the slight chance that this is not his baby will not keep him away. If it does, then he’s trash and doesn’t deserve you.”  
Bree gave a half smile and leaned her head on Skylar’s shoulder. Skylar wrapped her arm around her sister.  
“I’m so happy Mama and Da adopted you,” Bree told her.  
Skylar laughed softly. “Me too.” 

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The days seemed to drag during their time at River Run. The first couple weeks felt like they each lasted a year. Brianna was very solitary, only allowing Skylar has consistent company. But even when they were in the same room, if was often silent. Bree would draw most of the time, and the pictures she drew were dark. Skylar knew her art was a therapy for her, but she still hated to see her in so much pain. She tried to get her to talk about how she was feeling, but Bree shut her down every time, not wanting to say anything about it.   
This left Skylar to her own thoughts and they were almost always of Ian. She wanted with her entire soul to see him and hear him call her his wife. She was desperate for him to touch her again. She would have dreams that would mimic, what she thought of as, their wedding night and she would wake up still feeling his hands and lips on her.  
She would stare at her left ring finger and imagine actually wearing his wedding ring when they would become man and wife officially.   
She hated every second they were apart and she prayed every day and night that he would be with her again soon. She would try to keep her mind busy with reading, stitching or knitting. It would work, but only for a few minutes at a time.   
She was currently using stitching as her distraction as she sat in the dining room with Bree who was working on another piece. They were sitting in silence until Lizzie came in saying, “I dinna mean te disturb ye, Mistress, but I thought ye might like a morsel of somethin’ while yer drawin’. I brought fer ye as well, Skylar.”  
“Thank you, Lizzie,” Bree said. Lizzie came in and put the tray of food on the table. As she did, she saw what Brianna was drawing and gasped.  
“Oh God in Heaven. What have I brought ye te? Monstrous darkness, yer possessed.”  
 _Any little thing that’s off about someone and everyone thinks they’re possessed,_ Skylar thought. _How did people survive this century?_  
“Lizzie, I’m possessed,” Bree told her. “I’m hurt and angry.”  
“It’s all my fault,” Lizzie repeated for the thousandth time since they’d been there.  
 _You’re not wrong,_ Skylar would always say back in her head, but she would never actually say it to Lizzie’s face.  
“No, you made an honest mistake. You thought you were protecting me.”  
“But I made such a mess of things. Will ye ever forgive me?”  
“Of course.” Bree took Lizzie’s hand to show her forgiveness. “It’s over. We don’t need to talk about it again.”   
Lizzie gave a small smile in reply and turned to leave. But she stopped and turned back to say, “And what about yer father? Will ye forgive him as well? He wouldna have done what he did if I hadna been mistaken about Mr. Wakefield.”  
Skylar looked at Bree for her response, wanting to know what she would say. Jamie was also a topic that she had been heavily avoiding.   
“Even if I could forgive him for what he did to Roger, I can’t forget the things he said to me.”  
Knowing the conversation was over, Lizzie said, “I’ll leave ye t eyer drawin’ then, Mistress,” and then walked out.  
It was silent again for a minute. But Skylar broke it this time.  
“Lizzie’s right, Bree. Dad and Ian made the same mistake she did. They thought they were protecting you.”  
“I’m not mad at Ian anymore, Skylar. You don’t have to worry about that.”  
“And Dad? Are you going to be mad at him forever?”  
“You didn’t hear what he said he to me.”  
“No, but I was told about it. He didn’t mean any of it. Not a single word, I promise you that. He was just confused. He speaks and does things without thinking. He’s probably replaying everything he said and hating himself for it.”  
“Skylar, that’s enough. I don’t want to talk about it.” She turned her focus back to her drawing, and neither said a word for the rest of the night.  
Nothing changed much over the next two months, other than Brianna’s stomach growing. The girls kept to themselves mainly, joining Jocasta for meals and when she would call for one of them.   
Skylar would still try to pry anything out of Brianna so that she wasn’t bottling everything inside and be at risk of exploding. She would be successful once in a while, and for now, that was good enough. She knew Bree would talk more when she was ready.  
At this moment in time, they were both practicing knitting. Skylar had shown Bree what Ian taught her and she caught on pretty well.  
They were each working on their separate pieces when Skylar asked suddenly, “Do you know if there are still apples in the kitchen?”   
“Um, I don’t know. Probably.”  
“I’m gonna go see.” She stood up, ready to go to the kitchen. She groaned as she did and held onto her back.  
“Are you okay?”  
“My back has been so sore lately. I think something’s up with my mattress. Or maybe my time has come and I’m falling apart.”  
“Could be all the apples,” Bree joked.  
Skylar laughed. “The apples are making me fall apart?”  
“It seems like that’s all you’re eating. Any reason in particular?”  
“I don’t know. They just taste really good and eating them just makes me want them more.”  
Bree wasn’t wrong about apples seeming to be Skylar’s favorite food presently. She would have at least one with every meal and would think about them during the day, prompting her to have more. Luckily, Lizzie had gone to a nearby market and had been able to pick up another bundle so Skylar wouldn’t have to go without.  
“And now talking about it is just making the craving worse.” She went for the door as she added, “While I’m down there, do you want me to bring you anything?”   
“No, I’m good. Thanks.”  
“That was a rhetorical question. You’ve barely been eating. You don’t have a choice.”  
“I don’t think I can stomach anything right now. Between the constant nausea and the paralyzing worry, I can’t even think about food.”  
Skylar saw that she was ready to talk a bit more, but needed a little push. So she took a breath then walked back to sit in her chair. “Bree, you have to believe me when I tell you I know exactly how feel right now.”  
“How? You have Ian with you every day. You’ve never had to worry about where he was or if he was alive or not.”  
“Have we never told you about what happened to him?”  
Bree looked slightly nervous. “Um, no. What happened?”  
“Well, way back in 1766, when he and I were still claiming we were nothing more than friends, he got kidnapped by pirates and forced onto a ship headed for Jamaica.”  
Brianna’s mouth dropped. “What?”  
“Yeah. I had finally accepted I loved him and he was taken from me before I could tell him. Dad, Claire and I chased him down and rescued him, which involved months of the most painful agony I have ever gone through. I had no way of knowing if he was hurt or alive. I didn’t have one full meal or a regular night’s sleep until we found him. Please don’t make my mistakes. Making yourself sick isn’t going to bring Roger back any quicker. After basically killing myself for an absurd amount of time, it took so long to reassimilate back into normal eating and sleeping habits. And you need to stay healthy, not just for you but for your baby. So, when I ask ‘do you want anything,’ what I actually mean is ‘I’m bringing you food.’ Understand?”   
Bree gave a small smile at her sister’s concern, and said, “Fine.”  
“Good. Okay, thinking about this apple is driving me crazy. I’ll be right back.” She squeezed Bree’s hand and went for the door. But before she could open it, Phaedra came bursting into the room with bustling excitement, her arms full of different fabrics, and almost ran into her.  
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Miss Kelley,” she said.  
“You have nothing to apologize for, Phaedra.” Skylar gave her a kind smile and moved aside to let her pass. Phaedra gave her a quick curtsey and returned the smile, then kept going into the room.  
“We dinna have much time te get ye ready, Mistress,” she said to Brianna.  
“Ready for what?” Brianna sat up more in chair. Skylar came back into the room and stood behind Bree, wanting to know what was happening as well.  
As she spread out the different fabrics, Phaedra told them, “Mistress Cameron’s holdin’ a dinner next week, and I need te fit ye fer a new dress. Miss Kelley, all’a yer beautiful dresses from when ye were here last are still hangin’ in yer wardrobe fer ye te pick from.”  
“Phaedra, could you please tell my aunt I don’t need a new dress?” Bree pleaded, sounding exhausted at just the idea of this party.  
“But ye do, Mistress. And a new dress will help hide yer…condition.”  
Skylar had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes at that word. Everyone at River Run was referring to Brianna pregnancy as her “condition” since she was unwed. Skylar thought it was ridiculous and she knew Bree didn’t like it either.  
Especially from the annoyed twinge in her voice as she responded with, “Hide it from whom?”  
“We’ve got us a lord comin’ from Virginia, master of Mount Josiah.”  
“Sounds fancy,” Skylar commented.  
“Aye, that he is. Mistress Cameron wants te introduce ye te him and some of her other friends.”  
“I don’t want to meet anyone,” Bree fought.  
“Ye dinna mean that. Ye’ll soon learn that Mistress Cameron’s dinners are the talk of the county. Ye remember, Miss Kelley, the party that was held here fer yer family?”  
“Oh, I most certainly do.” She remembered the group of women who warned her that Ian cheating was unavoidable and the rich white men who spoke of the Native Americans as if they were no better than the dirt under their shoes; including Lieutenant Wolff, with his eyes and hands that had a hard time staying to himself when Skylar was around. She held back a gag knowing that he was absolutely going to be a guest at this event as well.  
Skylar held onto Bree’s shoulder and leaned down to her ear to whisper, “If you make me go to this thing alone, I will never forgive you. Ever. _Ever_.” She then left to finally satisfy her apple craving.  
The next day, Bree was still dead set on not attending the dinner. But unfortunately, even if she did manage to find a way of escaping it, Skylar was still obligated to go. So when Bree went off to draw on her own for a while, Skylar decided it would be best to try on the dress she wanted to wear to the dinner to make sure it still fit. She opened her wardrobe and smiled at seeing the white dress with pink flowers. It was still the most beautiful dress she had ever seen and she was so excited to have a reason to wear it again.   
But when she put it on, she found it was much more snug than it had been the previous summer. She managed to squeeze into it, but it was a slight struggle to breathe and she couldn’t get it to rest over her breasts properly.   
_What the hell,_ she thought, feeling discouraged as she stared at herself in the mirror from every angle. _Did I double the amount of food I’ve been eating or something?_   
“Do apples have enough sugar to make you gain weight?” she whispered to herself. Someone knocked on her door and she called, “Come in.” She didn’t turn around when the door opened because she was too focused on seeing if she was about to rip the seams of her dress since that’s what it felt like.  
Bree walked in and said, “Good news, you’re not going to be at the dinner alone. I’ve decided to make an appearance after all.” Skylar didn’t answer. She kept turning from side to side, putting her hands on her hips stomach and waist. She kept trying to pull her dress up, but she groaned each time it fell back down. “Are you okay, Sky?”  
Without turning from the mirror, she asked, “Have I gained a ton of weight recently?”  
“I’m sorry, please repeat that.”  
“Just answer the question.”  
“No, of course not. Why would you ask that?”  
“This dress fit perfect a year ago and now it’s squeezing my ribs and I can’t even get it up past my boobs, which also seem to have grown significantly as of late.”  
Bree crossed to sit as she said, “Are you due for your period soon? It could just be bloating, and breasts tend to swell around then too.”  
“I honestly have no idea. But you might be right. I didn’t get it last month and I’ve been insanely irregular since my first one, so skipping a month, or two at this point, is completely the norm for me and it could finally be coming any day now.”  
Brianna’s eyebrows shot up at her nonchalance over it. “You’ve missed _two_ months?”  
“Yeah, I thought I got it a few weeks ago but it only lasted like a day and was unusually light. So I have no idea what that was but I’m not gonna worry about that until there are more signs that it is something to worry about. But I would not be surprised at all if it was just my uterus deciding to do even more of its own thing and be like ‘yeah, that was it. There you go.’”   
“That sucks. I’m sorry you have to deal with that.”  
“It’s whatever. But as much as I really hope it is my period just to get it over with, I really hope it’s not. I’ve skipped two months before, and then when it does eventually come, it’s a literal murder scene from hell.”  
“What an image,” Brianna laughed.  
“Truly. And if these are, in fact, my period boobs, and them being this big, I can tell it’s gonna be real fun.”  
“I’m sure Ian will be disappointed having missed out on your period boobs.”  
“He has a lifetime to enjoy them. He just has to make it back alive first.”  
“Maybe we can have our weddings one right after the other, or maybe even a double wedding. Do you think we could convince Roger and Ian to go along with that?”  
Skylar smiled and turned to face her sister. This had been the first time in two months that Brianna had said something positive and with real hope about Roger coming back.   
She went to sit in the chair next to Bree. “I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard. If they want the honeymoon, they have to go through the ceremony first. So I can guarantee they’ll agree to whatever we want to make it happen as quick as possible.” They both laughed but it was difficult for Skylar to while sitting down. She stood right back up and put her hands on her hips. “Oh God, I need to find Phaedra and have her take this dress out. Mother Nature’s gift is not going to come fast enough for me to breathe easily in this dress before the dinner.”  
All too quickly, a week had passed and it was the night of the dinner. Guests started to arrive early in the afternoon, and Skylar and Bree kept themselves locked in Brianna’s room to avoid having to interact with any of them. But it got to be the time when they needed to make their entrance. Phaedra and Mary helped both women dress and fix their hair.   
“Sky, please stop obsessing. You look gorgeous,” Brianna told her as they were about to go down. Phaedra had let out Skylar’s dress so that it fit again, but that just made her paranoid now that she looked heavy; which was, unfortunately, a big “societal no-no” for young ladies from respectable families in this time.  
“The women that are downstairs, they will pick apart any flaw they can find. And I promise you, they will find one. It’s like high school bullying all over again.”  
Bree smiled and went behind Skylar, holding onto her upper arms and looking at her through the window.   
“And _I_ promise you, if anyone has anything bad to say to my little sister, they’ll be escorted out of here with a black eye.”   
Skylar laughed out loud. “Omigod, I would love nothing more than to see you go head to head with the upper crust of Cross Creek and win.”   
Bree joined in laughing. “Come on, we better get out there before Jocasta sends someone to find us.”  
Skylar groaned. “Ugh, fine. Let’s get this night over with.” Bree took her hand and led her out the door.   
They stopped at the top of the stairs, waiting to be announced by their aunt.  
Ulysses noticed them and whispered to Jocasta they were there.   
“Ladies and gentleman,” she spoke to the crowd, “may I present my nieces, Brianna Fraser and Skylar Kelley.”  
Brianna started down first with Skylar right behind her. She felt less nervous than she had when she first walked down these stairs with Jamie, Claire and Ian, but it still made her feel awkward to have everyone watching her, waiting to see if she would make a mistake.  
When they made it to the ground floor, they were met with a man and woman waiting to be introduced.   
“Brianna, Skylar, this is Gerald Forbes and his sister, Prudence Forbes.” They bowed and curtsied respectively, and the two woman curtsied in response.  
“I’ve been lookin’ forward te this occasion,” Mr. Forbes said, his eyes locked on Brianna.   
_The newest and prettiest in the room,_ Skylar remembered from the wives at the last party. _Sorry, Bree, have fun._   
He was waiting for Brianna to respond him, but she remained silent; and Skylar absolutely did not want to speak to anyone unless necessary. So, he continued with, “Have the two’a ye been enjoyin’ yer time at River Run?” He slowly looked over Skylar as well from head to toe and kept his gaze on her when he met her eyes again.  
 _Damn it, I thought I was safe._  
“I was lucky enough to stay here for a period last summer, and I’m enjoying myself just as much now as I did then,” she answered.  
“I feel the same, though this is my first visit. Our aunt has been a most generous hostess,” Brianna added.  
“How do ye spend yer days here?” Prudence asked.  
“Drawing, mostly.”  
“The lass is quite accomplished,” Jocasta bragged.  
“Splendid!” Mr. Forbes exclaimed, far too excited. “What sort of things do ye draw?”  
“I recently finished a portrait of Phaedra.”  
 _Oh this won’t go over well_. Skylar glanced at the rest of the guests and they all had looks of differing variations of shock at Bree’s statement.  
Prudence tried to find a more “appropriate” explanation. “Oh, I presume ye mean the Phaedra of Greek mythology, wife of Theseus.”  
Before Bree could correct her, Jocasta said, “Yes. A good, strong Greek name.”  
“I believe Phaedra is one of the slaves here at River Run,” another man spoke.  
The woman next to him was outraged when Brianna confirmed this. “Ye mean te say ye draw negros?”  
Skylar watched Bree’s face drop and she gently touched the older girls’ arm to keep her from speaking out. The two made very quick eye contact and Brianna’s expression softened, allowing Skylar to drop her hand.  
Jocasta, feeling the tension start to rise, went on with, “Brianna, Skylar, I don’t believe ye’ve had the pleasure. This is Mistress Alderdyce and her son, the Honorable Judge Alderdyce.” The man and woman who had previously spoke came a couple steps closer and the two pairs greeted each other the same way as they had with the Forbes.  
“I draw whatever inspires me,” Bree couldn’t stop herself from saying.  
The man smiled and said, “Very courageous. I’d love te see it.”  
“I could have Ulysses fetch it for you if you’d like.”  
“Oh, heavens no!” Mrs. Alderdyce cried, as if Brianna had suggested she sleep outside in the garden. “What is the world comin’ te? Te think ye’d choose that as yer subject in a beautiful place such as this. Why not a landscape?”  
Skylar grit her teeth and squeezed her hands hard together to keep herself from strangling this woman. She could feel the same anger coming from Brianna next to her without looking at her.   
Jocasta tried to move on by saying, “Oh, young folk teday, my goodness. Whatever shall we do wi’ them? I’m sure Lieutenant Wolff will have some thoughts te share.”  
 _Oh, Christ, here we go,_ Skylar thought. She had felt his stare burning into her from the moment she started down the stairs.  
Hearing his name, Lieutenant Wolff made a beeline to the girls and stopped in front of Skylar first.  
He bowed deeply to her. “Miss Kelley,” he picked up her hand and held it, “what a pleasure it is to gaze upon you yet again. I dare say you are twice as beautiful as you were when I saw you last.” He kissed her hand for an uncomfortable amount of time and she fought hard to not throw up and yank her hand away.  
“Lieutenant Wolff, how wonderful it is to see you again,” she said to him when he at last released her.   
“Now, will you please ease my mind and tell me you are no longer attached to that gangly pale boy that accompanied you last summer.”  
 _Don’t slap him, he’s high society._  
“Quite the opposite actually. I’m very happy to say that Ian has asked for my hand and I accepted. I will be Mistress Murray before too long.”  
“What an absolute pity it is for someone of your exquisite beauty to settle for one so beneath you.”  
She gave him a tight thin smile. “I thank you for you kind words of congratulations, Lieutenant. Now, may I formally introduce to my sister, Brianna.”  
“Your sister?” He looked back and forth between them. Skylar gave a single nod. He then put his attention to the second girl and said to her, “I have newfound empathy for your great-aunt’s lack of sight.” He kissed her hand as well and Skylar was overwhelmingly jealous that he didn’t linger on her hand. But Brianna was still just as unsettled by his forwardness.   
“You’re too kind,” she forced out.   
“With your aunt’s permission, I would like to take the both of you lovely young ladies on an excursion to New Bern, to show you some the magnificent sights.” He ended looking directly at Skylar again. “Perhaps your fiancée would be generous enough to allow me the gift of your company for just a weekend, or so.”  
 _Over his and my dead bodies._  
“Unfortunately, Ian is away for the time being so I am unable to ask him,” she answered.  
“Then his absence will be his consent.”  
 _PLEASE GET ME THE FUCK AWAY FROM THIS MAN! I THOUGHT THIS NIGHT WAS ALL ABOUT BRIANNA!_ she screamed in her head with her clearly fake and pained smile painted on her face.  
Mr. Forbes saved the day when he came in front of Wolff to say to Brianna, “Miss Fraser, there is something I wish te show ye. Perhaps ye would be so kind as te accompany me?” he held out his arm and she just stared at him.  
“Brianna,” Jocasta urged her. She gave a weak smile and took his arm.  
But before they walked, she turned to Skylar. “Sky?” and she held out her hand, begging her to take it and follow them. Skylar eagerly took it and held it tight as she went along with her and Forbes, relieved to get just a small distance between her and Wolff; though he trailed in close pursuit along with the rest of the crowd.  
Forbes led them into the parlor to one of the small tables. Skylar went on past them to stand closer to the fireplace and watch whatever was about to happen unfold.  
Forbes opened the box, revealing four gemstones.   
He said to Bree, “I’m thinkin’ of havin’ one of these stones fashioned inte a piece of jewelry, a gift. Tell me, me dear, which one pleases you most? The sapphire, the emerald, the topaz, or the diamond? With yer instinct fer loveliness, ye would have a most valuable opinion, should ye be willin’ te oblige me with it.”  
Bree looked at Skylar, her face asking for help.  
“This one is all you,” Skylar’s face replied.   
Bree turned back to Forbes and said, “I, um…I shouldn’t like to venture my own opinion without first hearing Mistress Alderdyce’s choice.” Skylar bit back a laugh at her sister’s very smart move.  
The rude older woman took a step in, about to share her thoughts, when she was interrupted by Ulysses.   
“May I present Lord John Grey.”  
Skylar’s face lit up when she heard the name and saw him walk in. A flood of happiness came over her as she know thought the night saved for horrendous boredom.   
Everyone either bowed or curtsied to him when he entered and he responded with a bow as well. “Greetings, one and all. Mistress Cameron, very glad to be here. I’m sure a splendid evening awaits us.” When he looked back out, he saw Skylar and smiled. “Miss Kelley, how wonderful it is to make your acquaintance yet again.”  
Skylar came forward to him and curtsied once more. “I’m very happy to see you here. I didn’t piece together that you were the lord from Virginia everyone was talking about. I should also tell you, I won’t be Miss Kelley for much longer. I’ll be Mistress Murray in only a matter of months.”  
His smile grew wider at her news. “My most warm and heartfelt congratulations to both you and Ian. I hope that I will finally be able to meet this man at your wedding, should I be sent an invitation.”  
“I’m sure we’ll be able to find space for you and William somewhere.”  
“William will be heartbroken to hear of your engagement.  
Skylar laughed. “Please send him my deepest apologies.”  
“I most certainly will.”  
“May I please introduce you to my sister, Brianna.” She held her hand out to Bree who was standing behind her, and she came to join them.   
“Miss Fraser, undoubtedly,” he greeted her. “I’m an acquaintance of your parents.”  
“I suppose that’s how you two know each other?” she questioned, looking between him and Skylar.  
“Yes, yes it is. I had the privilege of visiting Fraser’s Ridge a number of months ago. Though we did have a brief meeting in Jamaica. Though I do understand, Miss Kelley, that you do not prefer to speak of that time.”  
Skylar gave him a humorous smile. “For the sake of the entertainment I’m sure your stories of your time in Jamaica would bring to all of us, I will allow it just this once.”  
Lord John let out a low laugh and Jocasta spoke, “I’m sure we would all enjoy hearin’ these stories at the table. I’m told dinner is ready te be served.”  
They all transitioned into the dining room, and as they did, Skylar took Brianna’s arm and whispered, “Stick close to him. He’s a good one.”  
Lord John was sat at the head of the table with Brianna on his left and Skylar on his right. The other guests were placed more or less randomly with Jocasta at the other end. As they ate, John told a couple stories, as promised, of Jamaica, ending with the one at the ball thrown in his honor and his encounter with a fortune teller there.  
“It was all a ridiculous show, really. The woman claimed to tell fortunes by holding a personal item. Though it was rather amusing, I must admit. Miss Kelley, ye were a witness to this as well, I presume. What did you make of the display?”  
“Oh, I was, um…otherwise occupied during that, I’m afraid.” She took a sip of her wine and inwardly cringed as she remembered the drunk mess she had become that night and having Fergus rescue her from a stranger’s advances in the garden.   
“However, this was not the strangest thing that happened during my time in Jamaica,” John continued. “A very strange place indeed. But that is a story for another glass.” He looked at Bree. “Your turn. I’ve embarrassed myself enough for one evening, surely.”  
“I, uh, I don’t have any anecdotes half as entertaining as yours, and I’m certainly no fortune teller,” she said. “But I do have something for occasions such as these that I learned a long time ago, on the subject of psychology. The science of the soul if you will.” Everyone seemed fascinated at the idea, including Skylar.   
“Well, it sounds intriguing,” Jocasta stated.   
“And it only works with strangers.”  
“Might we all partake?” Forbes asked, who somehow managed to seat himself next to Brianna.   
“Of course. I’ll ask you a few questions and I want you to picture whatever comes to mind first. And you might want to close your eyes.”  
“Must I close my eyes when ye are before me?” Forbes said to her, leaning in close.  
“Yes,” she answered bluntly.  
Skylar coughed to cover her laugh, then cleared her throat and closed her eyes.  
Bree then began. “I want you to imagine that you’re in a forest with someone. Can you picture the person?”  
Everyone answered with some form of ‘yes.’ Skylar smiled at the image in her head of her and Ian holding hands and walking through the forest around Fraser’s Ridge.   
“You encounter an animal.”  
“Should we tell you what it is?” Wolff asked.  
“Not yet. I want you to imagine that you reach a clearing. You may open your eyes.”  
“Is that it?” Prudence questioned after everyone could see again.  
“Now, one at a time, you’ll tell me what you saw and I’ll tell you what each answer represents, symbolically speaking.” Bree turned to her sister and said, “Sky, would you do us the honor of going first?”  
“Are you sure it’ll work since I’m not a stranger?”  
Bree chuckled. “You can be our example. Besides, I’m sure there’s still plenty to you I’ve yet to uncover.”  
“Very well, go ahead.”  
“Who were you walking in the woods with?”  
Skylar gave her a joking “are you serious right now” face. “Must you even ask?”  
The older girl smiled. “And what animal did you and Ian see?”  
“A blue jay, two actually. We saw a pair soon before he left that had made a nest in, um, a special tree.” She smiled to herself at the memory of them together during a rare minute alone. They had gone to see the tree Skylar had put their initials into and were pleasantly surprised to see the birds that had made a home there.  
“Well, that’s very appropriate for you two, considering blue jays mate for life.”  
“I will take that as a very good sign then.”  
“From what you told me, I can very safely assume that Ian is one of, if not the, most important person in your life. You love him madly and are only wanting a long and happy future with him.”  
“Right on all counts. But of course, you already knew all that.”  
“I suppose it is a bit more fun to read a stranger than your sister. But that’s the basic idea of the game. Judge Alderdyce, would you go next?”  
“I’m at yer service,” he answered.  
“Who was with you in the forest?”  
“I was walkin’ with Christ.”  
“And the animal you saw?”  
“A squirrel. One verra particular fellow, in fact. Frequents me mother’s garden each mornin’.”  
Bree thought about his responses before she gave her depiction. “You see, when a person is walking with Christ, it can mean that they’re seeking forgiveness or reassurance for something.”  
“Given my occupation, it’s no surprise that the notion of forgiveness is often on me mind.”  
“yes, but when walking with Christ yourself, coupled with the squirrel you saw in your mother’s garden…you see, the animal you encounter represents life’s problems, and given that squirrels tend to hoard things away, it would seem that your problems are secrets.”  
Skylar’s eyes were locked on the Judge. He and John Grey had been giving each other quick nervous glances all during Bree’s explanation and Skylar was holding her breath.  
 _Omigod, they’re together! That’s the secret he’s hoarding away! Holy shit!_  
She could see his anxiety rising as people continued to talk about Bree’s meaning.   
“Somethin’ Mrs. Alderdyce doesna know about then, since the squirrel was in her garden,” Prudence deduced.   
Mrs. Alderdyce didn’t believe it. “I assure ye, I know everythin’ there is te know about my son.”  
“If ye’ll excuse me fer a moment, I must take some air.” Judge Alderdyce stood up from the table and promptly went outside. Skylar took another sip of her drink to keep her face straight.  
“Well, well,” Forbes spoke, “there may be somethin’ in this after all.”  
“My niece is a clever lass indeed,” Jocasta followed.   
The remaining guests at table then went into their own separate conversations, and Bree turned to John. “So, Lord John, dare I ask who was with you in the forest?”  
“I’m also very interested to hear,” Skylar agreed.  
He turned slightly red and started stuttering.   
Brianna pressed him. “You don’t have to think too hard about it. Who came to mind first?”  
“Your father,” he finally answered. “I thought of your father.”  
 _The plot thickens._  
Bree was a little confused by his answer. “Oh. Why would you think of him?”  
“Well, his daughters are sitting right here in front of me. And…” he looked between the two, “he did ask me to look in on the both of you.”   
“He did?” Skylar questioned.  
“Why would you need to do that?” Bree added.  
“He merely wrote to ask that I visit to ensure all is well. He mentioned he was about to embark on a long journey.”  
“And he gave no reason at all as to why all might not be well?”  
“No. But from your response, I’m beginning to suspect it might not be. Your father would never divulge anything to me that you yourself, either of you, would not wish to tell me. He’s an honorable man.”  
“Don’t talk to me about my father’s honor,” she said coldly.   
“Bree,” Skylar said, wanting to calm her down as she saw she was starting to get riled up from this information.   
“If you’ll excuse me,” Brianna announced to the table, putting her napkin down and standing up.   
“Brianna, let me come with you.” Skylar stood as well, with Lord John following the action.  
“Is it my turn?” Forbes called out before they could take a step, being the fourth now to stand. “I’m eager te tell ye who my forest companion was. Perhaps we could take a walk in the grounds and discuss in more detail.”  
Bree suddenly grabbed her head, saying, “Oh, I’m…I’m feeling quite unwell.”  
“Brianna!” Skylar exclaimed as she went down. Luckily, Lord John had been right there to catch her. Skylar ran to her side and helped her to stand straight. “Are you alright? Do you feel sick?” Her immediate thought was her baby but she knew not to say a word about that.   
Having been told what happened, Jocasta said, “Lord John, please escort me niece inte the parlor. Ulysses, more wine fer everyone.”   
John and Skylar assisted Brianna with walking into the other room and sat her on the couch. Phaedra had been called in and she wet a cloth to put on her head as Skylar sat next to her and rubbed her arm soothingly.   
“I’m more than willing to ride out and summon a physician,” John offered.   
“Oh no, that won’t be necessary.”  
“Bree, I think it would be a good idea to get checked out. Just to make sure everything is okay,” Skylar pushed, making it clear she was hinting at the wellbeing of her child as well as herself.  
“Really, I’m fine. There’s no need to-”  
She was cut off by Lizzie running in, pale with worry. “Oh, Mistress. I was so worried when I heard that ye’d fainted, and in yer condition.”  
Skylar sighed. “Oh, Jesus Christ,” she mumbled inaudibly under her breath.  
Brianna looked between Lizzie and John Grey, who Lizzie had just noticed in that moment and realized what she had done.   
“Lizzie, I’m fine,” she assured her. “Really, I’m feeling much better.”  
“Would ye like me te go and prepare yer bedchamber?”  
“I’d appreciate that.”  
She gave Bree an apologetic look, then quickly left. There was an awkward silence before John spoke.  
“Miss Fraser, you are not ill as such? Am I to understand you are going to be a mother?”  
“One of the entertaining anecdotes I decided not to share at the dinner table.”  
“Your father didn’t tell me about this, you know.”  
Skylar looked back and forth between them and she knew they needed to speak alone.   
“This night has been exhausting, so I think I’m going to go to bed.” She looked at Bree. “Are you okay?”  
“I’m fine, Sky.”  
“You know where to find me if you need me.”  
“Thank you. Goodnight.”  
“Night, Bree.” She kissed her cheek then stood up, groaning again as her lower back acted up. “My God, when did I become an old lady?” She chuckled and curtsied to John. “Lord John.” He bowed back as usual.  
“I look forward to seeing you in the morning.” She gave a small smile then left the room and went upstairs.  
When she closed her door, she let the nausea she had been pushing away all night come forward and vomited into her chamber pot. She had been getting sick often recently, but hid it from Brianna so she wouldn’t be worried about her.   
She changed into her shift and made her own cool compress to put on her head as she laid in bed.   
_I thought knowing he was with Dad and Claire would stop me from the anxiety puking,_ she thought. _But I guess I’m always going to be paranoid about him, especially now that he’s my husband._  
How terribly she missed him only added to her nausea, as well as the headache that came and went over the last two months.   
She touched the spot on her neck where her necklace usually sat, thinking about it now hanging around Ian’s neck.   
“Come home soon, Youngin’,” she whispered quietly. “Mistress Murray is waiting for you.”

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The next morning, Skylar was woken up by a knocking at her door.  
“Miss Kelley?” she heard Phaedra call.  
She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She let a tired breath and called back, “Uh, yeah, you can-you can come in.”  
Phaerda opened the door and came next to her bed. “I’m verra sorry te wake ye, Miss Kelley. But yer sister sent me te find ye. She’s askin’ fer ye te join her in her room as quick as ye can.”  
Skylar was suddenly wide awake. “Is she okay?” She jumped out of bed and grabbed her bathrobe.  
“Aye, she’s healthy. She’s wantin’ te speak wi’ ye.” Skylar sprinted out of her room and into Bree’s. Lizzie was int here as well.  
“What’s going on?” Skylar asked. “Are you okay? Is the baby okay?” Brianna looked frantic.   
“I’ll explain in a second. Lizzie, find Lord John and ask him to meet me in the grounds by the large oak.” Lizzie nodded and turned on her heel to leave. “And Lizzie,” Bree stopped her, “Be discreet.” She nodded again, more enthusiastically then left.  
When Lizzie was gone, Skylar turned back to the red head rushing to get dressed. “Bree, what is going on?”  
As she slipped her dress on, she said, “Gerald Forbes is downstairs and he’s about to propose.”  
Skylar’s mouth dropped. “Omigod. First of all, gross. Second, how can I help you get out of this?”  
Brianna was tying her hair into a side ponytail as she answered, “I have a plan that I’m kinda making up as I go. It’s a little crazy.”  
“Okay, and…”  
She checked herself over in the mirror and then turned to face the younger girl. She took a breath, then told her, “I’m going to ask John Grey to marry me.”  
Skylar blinked, not believing she actually heard what just came out of her sister’s mouth. “I’m sorry, what? You’re going to what?! This is far past a “little” bit crazy! Do you think he’s actually going to say yes?”  
“This can work. I can get him to go along with this.”  
“How?”  
Bree hesitated. “I can’t explain right now, but I know it’ll work. Skylar, I don’t have any other choice right now. It’s this or marry Forbes, and I would rather be forced into a convent than be that man’s wife.”  
“What about Roger? What are you and he going to do when he comes back and you’re married to someone else?”  
“I’m not actually going to marry John. This is just to get Jocasta off my back about being an unwed mother and it’ll buy Mama, Da and Ian more time to get here with Roger.”  
Skylar saw how desperate she was and knew there was no way to talk her out of this. “Okay, um…what can I do?”  
“I need you to create a distraction so Jocasta and Forbes don’t see me leave.”  
“What kind of distraction?”  
“I don’t know, Sky. You said you’ve done theatre. Just be an actress.”  
“Jesus Christ, okay. Um…” she mumbled under her breath as she tried to think. She then came up with an idea. “Alright, this will keep tier attention on me for a while. Just give me five-ish minutes and then leave.”  
“Okay.” Bree grabbed her cloak and threw it on as Skylar went to walk out.  
“Break a leg,” she said to Bree, then closed the door behind her.  
Making as little noise as she could manage, Skylar crept down the hallway to the stairs. She looked down over them and could hear Jocasta and Forbes talking.   
_Time to refresh what I learned in those improv classes._  
She slowly went down the stairs and stopped at the last three. She paused for a second, then stomped on the stair and slid her foot over it. She quickly sat down on the second to last step and hit it hard with her hand, all the while yelling, “Woah! Ow!”  
“What was that? Is someone hurt?” she heard Jocasta say.  
She stretched out her right leg and held onto her ankle. She twisted her face to look like she was in pain as Forbes and Jocasta, led by Ulysses, came out.   
Forbes rushed to her and knelt beside her. “Miss Kelley! Are ye alright?”  
“Is that Skylar? Are ye hurt, dear?” Jocasta asked her.  
Throwing her voice to make it sound like she was holding back tears, she said, “I slipped and fell. I think I hurt my ankle.”  
She heard fast footsteps coming down the stairs behind her and suddenly, John Grey was next to her. “Oh Lord. Are you alright, Skylar? I was just leaving my room and I heard an awful crash.”  
“Mr. Forbes, Lord John, please help me niece inte the parlor and onte the couch.”  
Before Forbes could touch her, Lord John picked her up and carried her into the parlor. He laid her down on the couch.  
“I think it might be sprained, or-or broken, even,” Skylar lied while keeping up the act.  
“I’ve seen my fair share of injuries serving in His Majesty’s army and I know how to recognize several different types of injuries, including sprains and breaks. May I?” Lord John asked. Skylar nodded. She raised the hem of her shift just enough to show her ankle and closed her robe tighter around her. She “hissed in pain” when John touched her ankle to exam it.  
“I don’t see any discoloration or swelling,” he observed. “It could just have been a shock to your system and the pain will go away momentarily.”  
Skylar looked behind John and saw Brianna slowly and silently moving past the parlor door to go outside. Bree glanced in to make sure no one was seeing her, but not looking where she was going, she walked into a small table in the foyer, making it scrap the floor.   
The noise made the others in the room start to turn to it, but Skylar cried, “Ow! Ow! Ow!” and the attention went back to her.   
“Is it sensitive here?” John questioned, putting his hand back to the spot it had just been in.  
“Yes. Yes, it’s tender there.” She subtly looked back to Bree and saw her go outside and close the door. “Could I maybe have a cold cloth to put on it?”  
“I’ll fetch one from the kitchen,” Forbes offered, then went to do that.  
“It doesn’t seem like it’s sprained or broken. But you could develop a nasty bruise. You should stay off it the rest of the day.”  
“I will. Thank you, John.”  
“Of course. Now, I wish I could be of more service but I’ve been called to a meeting. I shall check on you later.” Skylar gave a small smile and nodded. John bowed to her and left to go outside as well.  
Skylar gave a silent breath of relief that that had actually worked.  
Jocasta then said, “Ulysses, will ye bring over a pillow to raise Skylar’s ankle, and then another for her back te lean against?”  
“Certainly, Mistress.” Ulysses did as Jocasta requested, and then Forbes came back out with the dripping wet piece of cloth.  
Skylar gasped when he placed it on her, not expecting it to have been that cold.   
“Is that any better, me dear?” Jocasta asked her.   
“Yes, thank you. All of you. I’m so sorry to have interrupted your conversation.”  
“Dinna apologize, lass. Ye didna interrupt anythin’. Mr. Forbes was showin’ me the ring he intends te use te propose te Brianna.”  
Skylar continued to act as she had to pretend to be surprised by this news. She looked to Forbes who wore a very boyish smile. “You’re going to propose? My congratulations to you, Mr. Forbes.”  
“I thank ye, Miss Kelley,” he replied. “I do believe she will make a lovely bride fer me.”  
“Oh, I’m certain.”   
_Why are practically all men so creepy in this time? They’re almost worse than the men in the 21st Century, and I thought that could never be possible._  
Forbes showed her the ring and she did have to admit it was beautiful. The stone had been one of the ones he had shown to Brianna the night before. But as she sat there, quietly listening to Forbes and Jocasta talk about how this was a “perfect match” and “Brianna should be so lucky,” she was panicking in her head over what seemed to be her sister’s doomed fate being locked in as each minute went by with no sign of Brianna returning.   
At last, Brianna walked into the room. Skylar’s heart sunk when she saw the look of masked dread on her face.   
_Oh no, he said no._  
Ulysses cleared his throat to let Jocasta know Brianna was there.  
“Niece,” she greeted her.  
“Good morning, Aunt.” She saw Skylar on the couch with her ankle elevated and pretended to be concerned, like she had no idea what had happened. “Omigod, Skylar. Are you hurt?”  
“I’m fine. I just slipped.”  
Bringing her attention back, Jocasta said to her, “Mr. Forbes has a matter to put before you.”  
Skylar’s heart broke as she watched Bree face Forbes, accepting that she was about to go through with this.   
Forbes approached her and smiled. He opened his mouth to speak, but Lord John suddenly came into the room before he could.   
“Thank you for waiting for me, my dear,” he said to Bree. “Have you told them our good news?”  
It took Skylar a moment, but she figured it out and covered her mouth.   
_No way!_  
Brianna was still confused. “No, I haven’t.”  
Skylar felt like she was watching a major plot twist in a movie play out.  
 _I can’t believe she actually managed this!_  
“I’ve asked for Miss Fraser’s hand in marriage, and she has accepted.”  
Skylar couldn’t keep her mouth closed, in disbelief that Bree’s plan had worked. She looked from Jocasta to Forbes, and they were in shock as well.   
After a moment of stunned silence, Jocasta said, “A joyous occasion.”  
“Indeed,” Forbes spat.   
Brianna faced Jocasta and told her, “Had you not encouraged me to find a husband, I would never have opened my heart to Lord John. Thank you, Aunt Jocasta.”  
“That’s incredible! I’m so happy for you both,” Skylar commented. The couple looked at her, and Bree smiled wide. Skylar raised her eyebrows, signaling that she would need all the details later. Bree nodded, understanding.  
Humiliated, Forbes muttered a quick, “Good day to you all,” and nearly ran out the door.  
After a personal congratulations from Jocasta, it was suggested that Brianna and John spend some time on the porch together. Brianna agreed to it, but said that she wanted to freshen up a little upstairs.  
“I’ll come with you. I’d like to dress as well,” Skylar said.  
“Are ye able te walk, dear?” Jocasta questioned.  
“My ankle is feeling much better, yes. I think trying to move around on it would help.”  
Going up the stairs, Bree promised that once she was done meeting with Lord John, she would give Skylar the whole story.  
“I cannot wait. Please hurry.” As they got to the sop of the stairs, Skylar was starting to pant. “These stairs are getting harder and harder to climb the longer we’re here. Shouldn’t it be the opposite?”  
Bree chuckled. “I lose my breath just getting out of bed. But that’s because I’m pregnant. What’s your excuse? Are you _pregnant_ , Skylar?” She took in a fake dramatic gasp at the “scandal” and they both laughed.   
They parted and Skylar continued into her room. She laid on her bed and closed her eyes.  
 _Omigod, pregnant. Can you imagine if I actually ended up being-_ Her eyes shot open and she began to think some things over. _Wait…omigod…oh fuck._


	49. The Same Piece of News Again and Again

_Nope. No way. This can’t be real,_ were Skylar’s first and last thoughts of each day and every thought she had in between for several weeks. _You can’t get pregnant the first time you have sex! That just doesn’t happen! But, I mean, it did for Bree. And Ian and I did it more than just once that night so it could’ve been one of the other – no! I’m not pregnant!_  
More so than she ever had in her entire life, she began to pay extra close attention to every ache, sound and feeling in her body, and for each she tried to find some other explanation for why it was happening.  
But at the same time she was feeling this panic, she didn’t want there to be another explanation. The emptiness inside her from so badly wanting to have a child with Ian had grown so large that it was almost overpowering, and now there was a chance that emptiness could be filled. That idea made millions of butterflies flutter in her stomach.  
 _Or is that fluttering just a person growing in me?_  
The now crystal clear signs that she thought nothing of before were getting worse. Her nausea was unbearable. She was, in secret, throwing up several times a day and it always started first thing in the morning, which was also when it was at it’s worst. She was getting sick at almost the exact same times every day, you could even set your clock to it. It was helpful to know when to excuse herself, but she also thought it was very annoying.  
 _How is it that my period is so irregular but this I can time down to the minute?_   
Her, now understandable, craving for apples continued and only got stronger. But she was trying to cut back, as hard as it was, so no one would start to suspect anything of her wanting the apples more than air sometimes.   
From the time they arrived at River Run, she had had an on-again, off-again anxiety headache and believed that was what had been making her feel dizzy and fatigued. As each of those worsened and the truth sank in more and more, she knew they weren’t a result of anxiety. The upside of feeling so awful was that she was able to spend more time alone in her room. This allowed her to pee five or more times each hour with no one knowing, and she could stay in her shift so she didn’t have to deal with the fear of people seeing her clothes were getting tighter.   
She didn’t want to tell anyone yet, not until she knew 100% either way. But though her heart and gut knew what was the truth, that small illogical part of her brain kept telling her this wasn’t real and there was a logical explanation for everything that was happening to her; and this was the one time she chose to not lean into that voice. As the weeks went by, and it was getting more and more obvious that she needed to stop denying it, she was getting more and more happy and excited even.   
As exhausted as she was all the time, it was hard for her to sleep. She would lay on her back in bed and put a hand on her stomach, knowing deep in her soul that it was true, there was a tiny combination of her and Ian inside her. When she at last was able to accept that after a month of arguing with herself, she felt a warm glow of such happiness envelope her. But it was also scary as hell.   
Even though she could finally admit it to herself, she was not ready to tell anyone. To say she was terrified would be a vast understatement. She didn’t want to face any judgement or shame she felt Jocasta would put on her or anyone else in the upper class circle should they find out. She tried to hide everything as well as she could, but as she was progressing, people were beginning to notice things. She knew the time was coming where she would need to tell people and actually say it out loud.  
The first time came one morning when she came down to breakfast. She had tried to make herself look presentable and put together so no one would be able to tell she had just been puking her guts out only 30 minutes before. She thought that as long as her nausea would stick to the routine it had made, she would be able to get through breakfast fine.  
But when Jocasta announced that they would be having bacon and eggs as part of their meal, Skylar’s stomach churned and she knew she was in trouble.  
Just breathe through it, you’ll be fine, she told herself. You’ve eaten these plenty of times before. You will not throw up.   
“Are you alright, Sky?” Brianna asked, noticing how pale she had gotten and she was gripping the edge of the table so tight her knuckles were white.  
“Mmhm,” was all she said back, nervous that if she opened her mouth, more than words would come out.  
“Is it your stomach? I heard you be sick this morning.”  
Her saying that only added fuel to Skylar’s nausea.  
 _Omigod, she knows. Omigod, she knows. What the hell do I say?_  
“Are ye no feelin’ well, dear?” Jocasta asked.  
“I-I, I’m fine. It’s probably just a, um, a-a stomach bug,” she lied, using every bit of willpower she had to force down what was fighting to come up.   
“Maybe ye’ll feel better with some food in yer belly.”  
Skylar’s stomach turned violently at just the word ‘food.’ Then, when Phaedra and Mary started to bring out the breakfast and place it on the table, she couldn’t hold it in anymore. She took one whiff of the eggs and she nearly threw up on the table.  
“Excuse me,” she said, very calmly. She stood up and walked out normally. But the moment she was out of sight, she sprinted to her room. Thankfully, she made it in time.   
She grabbed her chamber pot and emptied her stomach. After, she tried to catch her breath while her mind was racing.   
_This sucks! This sucks so much! A baby is fun to make, but the side effects of carrying one…not so much._  
More bile traveled up her throat and into the pot.   
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Skylar looked up at the voice and saw Brianna standing in her room. She stood up from the floor and sat in one of her chairs, wiping her mouth with a handkerchief from off the table. Bree walked further in and sat on the bed. “You do know my room is right next to yours, right? And the walls are not super thick. You’ve been getting sick a lot lately, especially in the mornings. I figured that if you weren’t saying anything about it, it wasn’t an issue, but it clearly is. We should get the doctor out here to check on you.”  
“No. No, we really don’t have to do that.”  
“Something is wrong, Skylar. You’re throwing up, you’re always dizzy and tired. This isn’t normal.”  
“I know it’s not. But…there’s nothing wrong with me. It’s…it’s just, um…I-I…I’m, um…” She stopped talking and just looked down, playing with her fingers. She needed to tell Bree the truth. She had no other choice. But she found it was very difficult to get the words out. But it turned out, she didn’t need to say it. Bree’s face slowly became more serious as she understood.  
“Skylar…are you pregnant?”  
She closed her eyes and slowly let out the breath she had been holding since the start of this conversation. She looked up and said. “Yes. Yes, I am.” She stared at Brianna, anxious to hear what she would say.   
After half a minute of Bree trying to process this, the first thing she said was, “But…but when?”  
“The night before we all left,” Skylar explained, knowing what Brianna was asking. “I wasn’t lying when I said that Ian asked me to marry him. I just, kinda, didn’t say anything about how we decided to handfast that night, like you and Roger. And then after, we…made it official.”  
As Brianna began to wrap her mind around that her sister was pregnant, the shock faded and a smile grew on her face.   
“Omigod, Skylar!” she exclaimed, happily. She stood up and went to the girl, who stood up as well, and hugged her. When she pulled from her, she asked, “How are you feeling about this? Is this a good thing? Are you happy?”  
Skylar gave a small smile. “Is it wrong that I am?”  
“Oh God, no. Of course not! This is so exciting!” The two hugged again. Skylar was so relieved to finally have told someone and for it to have gone well.   
“I wish I knew where Ian was so I could send him a letter,” she said. “But I guess I’m just gonna have to surprise him when he gets back. You don’t think he’s going to be angry or upset about this, do you? You don’t think he’s gonna want to leave me?”  
“Are you kidding? He’s going to be thrilled! He is going to love this child so much and be so excited he won’t know what to do with himself when he finds out.”  
“Do you think Dad will be thrilled to?” she asked with a sarcastic tone to her voice, knowing that he would be the complete opposite of thrilled and could very potentially murder Ian.   
“Let’s not worry about telling Da until you have to. But, you know who you do need to tell, like now?”  
Skylar knew exactly who she meant and that was the last person she wanted to tell.  
“Do I have to?” I mean, it’s not like she’ll be able to see that I’m pregnant. Couldn’t she just not know until she has to?”  
“Sky,” was all Bree said, very matter of fact, and Skylar knew she was right.  
She groaned. “I know. I know I do.”  
“Okay, then let’s go.”  
“Wait, you meant _now_ now?”  
“Best to just get it over with.” Bree saw how terrified she was, so she took her hand and promised, “I will be right there next to you the whole time. It’ll be fine. She’s already housing one unwed mother under her roof, what’s one more?”  
Skylar gave a very uneasy half smile. She stood in front of her door for ten seconds, collecting her thoughts and figuring out how to phrase them. She then opened the door and they started downstairs.   
When they got near the bottom, Skylar looked around the corner into the parlor and saw Jocasta sitting in her usual chair, knitting.  
“You know,” she said, suddenly, “she seems pretty busy right now. I’ll do it tomorrow.” She turned to go back up, but Bree stopped her.  
“The longer you wait, the harder it’s going to be. Just be blunt and it’ll be over before you know it.”  
“Are ye needin’ somethin’, girls?” Jocasta called from the parlor, having been able to hear them with her enhanced hearing.  
Skylar silently mouthed, “Fuck.” She took a breath and continued into the room with Brianna right behind her.  
“We were looking for you, Great-Auntie,” she said.  
“What fer?”  
Skylar was biting her lip so hard it could’ve easily split. Bree saw how petrified she was, so she started the conversation for her. “There’s something that we need to tell you.”  
“Is everythin’ alright?” Neither responded. Skylar took Bree’s hand and squeezed it tight. She put the other over her stomach for comfort. Jocasta could feel the tension rise and knew that whatever it was, this needed to be said in private. “Ulysses,” she said to him as he stood by her shoulder, “would ye give me and my nieces a minute alone?”  
“Of course, Mistress. Ring should you need me.” He walked out and closed the doors behind him.  
“Are ye still feelin’ ill, Skylar?”  
She answered while Bree led her to sit on the couch, “No, I’m feeling better at the moment.”  
Jocasta waited for one of them to say something, but when neither did, she continued. “I can tell there’s somethin’ heavy on yer mind ye wish te share with me. I promise ye, lass, ye can tell me in confidence.”  
Skylar looked at her sister, feeling like she was about to throw up again but from nerves rather than morning sickness. Bree gave her an encouraging smile and stroked her hand with her thumb soothingly.   
Skylar swallowed and took another shaky breath. She faced her aunt again and began. “You remember how I said that Ian and I are engaged? That he proposed the night before he left with Dad and Claire?”  
“Of course.”  
“Well, um…tha-that wasn’t the, uh, the-the-the whole…truth, exactly.” She paused to see if the older woman would respond. She didn’t, so Skylar kept going. “It is the truth that he proposed that night. But the rest of it…we didn’t want to wait however long it would be until he was back so, we were handfast that same night. And then…” She licked her lips, her mouth and throat feeling bone dry, “once we were, you know, married, we…we, um, consummated the marriage. And now, I-I’ve, I’ve come to find that,” she nearly broke Brianna’s hand as she tried getting the last part out, “I’m with child.”  
She watched intently as Jocasta reacted. There was no major outburst, no expression or words of anger or embarrassment for her family. All she did was sit up straighter in her chair and she folded her hands very properly in her lap.   
“Yer certain?” was all she said.  
“Yes.” Skylar’s leg was bouncing wildly and she couldn’t stop it.   
She saw Jocasta’s chest rise and fall with a heavy breath, and then she said simply, “Well then, there’s nothin’ that can be done te change the past. But there is no reason te fret. Ian will surely be back in time before the child is born, and ye two will marry, legally, immediately when he is. Are we in agreement wi’ that?”  
“Yes. Of course. Thank you, great-Auntie.”  
Skylar felt like she could cry from relief. She truly thought it could have been possible for Jocasta to kick her out, not wanting to put more of a risk to her name with another out of wedlock birth.   
Jocasta held out her hand to Skylar. “Come here, my dear,” she spoke softly.  
The still shaking girl stood up and wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt before going to her aunt and taking her hand. Jocasta stood and gave her a kind smile. “My dear girl, ye dinna need te concerned. No harm will come te yer reputation or yer child’s. And I will make sure that ye are well taken care of while yer here.”  
Skylar let out a silent sigh, feeling all the remaining stress leave her body. “Thank you, Great-Auntie.”  
Jocasta touched her face tenderly then rang her bell, prompting Ulysses to come right in. “Ulysses, will ye tell Phaedra te meet us in Skylar’s bedroom. I want her te give Skylar an examination te make sure all is well with her and her child.”  
Skylar knew he had been able to hear everything from standing right outside the door, so his lack of a response was not surprising. “Of course, Mistress.”  
Before he left, Jocasta called after him, “And tell her te bring her sewin’ things as well. Mary and Lizzie too.”  
Ulysses nodded. “Of course.” Then he left to do as he was told.   
Jocasta turned back to the newly expectant mother. “They’ll need te set te work right away alterin’ yer clothes so that they will continue te fit, as well as hide yer condition from folk who may be…not as understandin’ of yer situation.”  
Skylar didn’t argue against that, too scared of saying anything wrong right now. “Yes, Great-Auntie. Thank you.”  
“Now, te yer room we go.”  
Skylar had a feeling Ulysses warned Phaedra to not show any sort of reaction when she came in and was trying very hard, but very obviously, to hold back all facial expressions or words that would show any surprise as she examined her. But from Phaedra’s midwife experience and expertise in all things pregnancy, mom and baby were perfectly fine from what she could see and feel, and everything was normal for being three months along.   
For the next several hours, Phaedra, Mary and Lizzie worked on tailoring Skylar’s clothes as well as some that Jocasta gave her so that she would have enough to wear comfortably as she grew over the months.   
When Skylar had to tell Lizzie, she reacted just as Skylar thought she would. Because being subtle or discreet didn’t come easy to Lizzie, her response was much more dramatic and vocal. But even though her reaction was a lot, she made sure Skylar knew, by telling her again and again, that she was happy for her and felt no sort of judgement whatsoever. Skylar had a feeling she was a bit jealous since it was Ian’s and Lizzie’s crush on him didn’t just disappear overnight. But she chose to not bring that up since it would just in turn make her jealous and upset.  
The last person she ended up telling that day was John Grey. He had taken up residence in the home of one of Jocasta’s friends close by and he was a regular visitor at River Run. Jocasta, in fact, highly recommended his daily presence since he was Brianna’s fiancée and she wanted them to spend as much time together as possible before they were married; though not living in the same house.  
When he arrived later that afternoon, Skylar decided to just get it out of the way since he would be the easiest to tell. So, she and Bree sat with him in the parlor and she just spit it out. When she told him, his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.  
 _I wish I could take a picture whenever I tell someone, see the range of different reactions,_ she thought.  
She explained the same story for the tenth time, it felt like, and John blinked himself back to reality when she was done.   
“Well…I assume then that Ian does not know yet?” was his first question.  
“No, he doesn’t. There’s really no way for me to get in touch with him while he’s God knows where, so it’s going to be quite the welcome home gift for him.”  
He laughed. “Quite, yes.” He gave his friend a genuine smile and said to her, “I want to offer you my most sincere congratulations, Skylar. There is no doubt in my mind that you are going to be an exceptional mother.”  
“Thank you, John. That really means a lot. Especially from such an exceptional father.”  
Before anyone could blink, another month had passed and it was now November.   
Brianna was currently sitting in Skylar’s room working on a needlepoint while her sister was in front of the mirror, putting her hands on her stomach and looking at herself from every angle she could manage.  
“I feel like I don’t look pregnant at all,” she thought out loud. “I pretty much look exactly the same.”  
“You’re just four months, Sky. It’s still very early. And you’re not exactly the same. You already have a little bump growing.” Skylar rubbed said bumped and smiled down at it. It had just begun to appear and she had started crying from happiness when she first saw it. She couldn’t help being jealous of Bree’s much more apparent pregnant belly. Like she could read Skylar’s mind, Bree added, “Treasure this time, because soon, you’ll be so large you can hardly move on your own.” She put a hand on her own stomach and shifted in her chair to try to get more comfortable, though at seven months that was not an easy feat.   
Skylar sighed. “I guess.” She walked to her bed and laid down on her back. She stared at her stomach as her fingers gently drew over it.   
Very quietly, she started to sing, “Lavender’s green, dilly dilly, lavender’s blue. If you love me, dilly dilly, I will love you. Let the birds sing, dilly dilly, let the lambs play. We shall be safe, dilly dilly, out of harms way. I love to dance, dilly dilly, I love to sing, When I am queen, dilly dilly, you’ll be my king. Who told me so, dilly dilly, who told me so? I told myself, dilly dilly, I told me so.”  
She didn’t realize Brianna could hear her until she said, “That’s a pretty song. Where did you learn that?”  
“My mom. She used to sing it to me all the time. Thought I’d start singing it to this one now so they’ll know it as soon as they’re out.” She smiled at her stomach and went on saying, “Ian told me that he fell in love with me the moment he saw me, but when he heard me sing that for the first time, that was when he realized he couldn’t live without me.”  
“Did you ever have a moment when you realized you couldn’t live without him.”  
“I did, but it wasn’t as romantic or sweet as his. It was the night he almost died in a fire.”  
Brianna was so caught off guard by that answer that she dropped her stitching. “I’m sorry, the night that what?”  
“We never told you about that either?”  
“No. Please, explain.”  
“Wow, we really haven’t told you anything about that time of our lives, have we? Well, back in Edinburgh, Dad’s printshop caught on fire when Ian was inside it. This was at the time that I was denying whole heartedly that I had feelings for him. But as I watched the flames destroy the building, I was so scared that I was going to lose him that it forced me to accept I loved him.”  
“That’s so awful. I can’t imagine how scary that must’ve been. But I guess it was also kind of a good thing in the sense that it made you face your feelings.”  
“Yeah, it’s the darkest silver lining you could get.”  
“Jeez, I just still can’t believe that there was ever actually a time where you two were just friends.”  
“Yeah, I was really stupid then. I try not to think of the before times.”  
“And look at you now, you two are handfast and you’re pregnant with his baby.”  
“Just as crazy is the fact that a year ago, I didn’t want any of this. I was so far from being ready for this step and I wanted us to wait years before we even thought about kids or getting married. It’s insane what just a short amount of time can do.”  
“Time itself is insane. Just a year ago I was living in the year 1969 studying to be an engineer at MIT. And now, I’m here, pregnant and waiting for my husband to be brought back from the Mohawk.”  
“When our teachers asked us where we saw ourselves being when we grew up, I don’t think this is anywhere close to what they had in mind.” They laughed, but were interrupted by a knock at the door. “Come in,” Skylar called. Phaedra came in and curtsied.  
“Mistress Cameron sent me te tell ye that Lord John Grey has arrived, and he’s askin’ fer ye te meet him in the parlor.”  
“I’ll be down in just a couple minutes, Phaedra. Thank you,” Bree responded. She curtsied once more then left them. Bree groaned and let her head fall back. “I don’t want to move. It was so hard to get comfortable.”  
“This fake engagement really takes a lot of work to upkeep.”  
“Tell me about it. Can you help me up?” Skylar made her way to her sister and took her hands to help her stand. “Join us?”  
“Absolutely.”  
The two slowly made the trek downstairs, each feeling aches and discomfort from many different parts of their bodies.   
They found John waiting at the bottom of the stairs, his face very serious. He ushered them inside quickly and closed the door.  
“What’s going on?” Skylar asked, a little freaked.  
“They’ve captured Stephen Bonnet,” he answered without any hesitation.  
“Omigod,” Skylar let out on a shaky breath. She gripped onto Bree’s arm and looked up at her. Her eyes were locked firmly on John’s face and she looked as if she was about to faint.  
John noticed this too. “Are you quite well? Perhaps you should sit down.” Bree broke from Skylar’s hold and walked towards the fireplace, the fast pace her mind was running in written clearly on her face.  
“No, no. If I sit down, I won’t be able to get back up.” Skylar, however, did take the opportunity to sit, feeling like her legs had turned to Jell-o and would give out. Bree turned back to John. “Where? How?”   
“He was apprehended in Wilmington. As to how, I could not say. But I have been apprised of the charges against him. Smuggling, piracy and murder.”  
“I suppose it’s too late to add what he did to me and Skylar to that list?”  
“It would only bring shame upon you, and no one would bat an eye at what he did to Skylar, tragically, as it was not rape. There would be no consequence.”  
 _In so many words, it wasn’t,_ Skylar thought, trying to breathe through the churning of her stomach made so much worse at the mention of the monster’s name.  
“No consequence?” Bree repeated, disgusted.  
“He will soon pay for all his crimes.”  
“His sentence?” Skylar pressed.  
“He is condemned and will hang next week.”  
 _As he should’ve been a long time ago._  
“I thought you would want to know, the both of you,” John went on, looking from Brianna to Skylar.   
“Yes, thank you,” Bree responded for her and Skylar. “If you’ll excuse me, I want to get some air.” She went to the door and opened it, but before she left, she turned back and said, “I want to see him,” then left.  
John and Skylar looked to each other, not understanding her request, then followed her outside.   
“Bree, what do you mean ‘see him’?” Skylar asked when they found her on the porch. “You cannot go anywhere near him. That’s ridiculous!”   
John added, “Even if your condition allowed for your travel to Wilmington, which it assuredly does not, attendance at an execution could not but have the worst effects on the child.”  
“I want to see the bastard hang too, Bree. Believe me, I’d love a front row seat. But John’s right. The trauma of seeing him die, and yes, that is a trauma, we don’t know what it could to your baby.”  
“I don’t want to watch him die,” Bree told them. “I want to talk to him.”  
“That’s, like, ten times worse! Are you serious?” Skylar exclaimed.   
“Your father entrusted me the task of looking after you. I’m not sure that involves taking afternoon tea with a murderer.”  
Brianna took out of her pocket an opened letter and handed it to John. He took it and read it.   
“What is that?” Skylar asked.  
“A note from Da. I told him about how much I wanted to take revenge on Bonnet and kill him myself. He wrote to me here about the difference between revenge and forgiveness, and what each can do. And he’s right. Forgiveness won’t change what has happened, but it can change what will be, whether Roger comes back or not. Whatever happens.”  
“You are sure you must see Bonnet?” John asked to confirm this.  
“Yes. If I can say my piece, then maybe I can find a way to be free of him. But I have to try, for my baby’s sake.”  
“Very well,” John gave in.  
“You’ll help me?”  
“God knows how. But I will help you.”  
“I’m coming with you,” Skylar decided.  
“Sky, no. You do not have to feel any pressure to come,” Bree assured her.  
“In fact, I highly recommend that you do not. Being so early in your pregnancy, this may have even greater effects on you,” John agreed.  
“I don’t want to talk to him or forgive him. I want to be there for my sister and stand with her when she faces him,” Skylar said, looking at Bree.  
“You would really do that and be with me there?”  
“Whatever you need, whenever you need it. I’m there for you always.” Skylar took her hand. “Maybe I can be brave enough to spit at him, at least.” Bree chuckled.  
“I feel there is not convincing you otherwise of this either?” John said to her.  
“Afraid not.”  
The three set out for Wilmington the next morning. John wanted this meeting over with as soon as possible, and the girls had no argument against that. The ride was quiet. Skylar just looked out the window and held onto her stomach.  
 _Mom, give me strength to stand in front of this man without running away,_ she spoke in her head. _Let me help Bree through this. Please._  
The carriage dropped them off as close to jail as it could get. When Brianna stepped onto the ground, she froze in her spot, her eyes darting around.   
“Are you okay?” Skylar asked her, touching her arm.  
“Being here is harder than I thought it would be,” she answered. She turned to face the two. “I miss my mother.”  
“I do too.”  
Both of them.  
“I daresay I find myself missing her at times as well, particularly when I’m ill. In spite of her unwaveringly direct manner, she is a rather remarkable woman.”  
“There’s never been a truer statement,” Skylar stated.  
“I hope she returns before the baby arrives,” Brianna said.   
John smiled and took a step towards her. “Knowing your parents, they will do everything in their power to return Roger to you. Take my arm.” He offered out his arm to her. She gave a small smile as she held onto it and said, “You are impossible not to like.” She reached her hand to Skylar, and the younger girl accepted it. Each taking their own deep breath, they started for the jail.   
When it was in sight, John stopped them and looked to Brianna, about to say something. But she stopped him, knowing what it was going to be. “If you ask me one more time if I’m sure I want to do this, I’ll scream.”  
“Well, your mind is clearly made up. Couldn’t help but notice the rest of you seems rather apprehensive.”  
“I’ve been thinking about this moment, and now it’s finally here, I guess…I’m nervous.”  
“We can turn back. You don’t have to do this,” Skylar told her.  
John put his hand on top of hers that was on his arm. “Perhaps we should take a moment, allow you to prepare yourself.”   
She did take the moment to breathe in and out, then rolled her shoulder back and set her eyes on the building in front of her. “I’m ready.” They started forward again.  
When they reached the door, John spoke to the guards, “Good day, gentleman. I am Lord John Grey. This is my betrothed, Miss Brianna Fraser, and her sister, Miss Skylar Fraser. Governor Tryon has arranged for us to have an audience with one of your prisoners, Stephen Bonnet.”  
“His Excellency’s secretary sent word apprising us of your arrival,” one of the men said. As he turned to unlock the door, Skylar suddenly dropped Bree’s hand. Her vision was going blurry and her chest hurt. She stayed in her spot while the others went on.  
Her heart beating very fast and she all of a sudden felt like she couldn’t breathe. Flashbacks of that night on the river boat played in her head at high speed.   
_Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it. I thought I was going to be okay. I really did. I want to do this for Bree, but I don’t know if I can._  
Brianna and John noticed she wasn’t with them and turned back, seeing her frozen and pale.   
“Are you alright, Sky?” Bree asked her, going back to her.  
“I, um…I-I don’t think I can do this,” she said, her voice on the edge of cracking. “I don’t think I can face him. I’m so sorry, Bree. I’m so so sorry. I really thought I could do this. I thought I would be fine. I wanted so badly to be fine. I wanted to be there to help you. But I…I know it’s so stupid for me to feel like this because what you went through is a million times worse than what I did and you’re able to see him, but I just can’t-”  
“Skylar,” Bree said, cutting off her rambling. She held onto her upper arms. “You do not have to apologize. You need to do what’s best for you. And if you feel going inside will only do damage, absolutely do not do it. I love you so much for coming this far with me. It helped me in ways you don’t even know.”  
“Are you sure? Because I don’t want to make you-”  
“I will be fine. I promise. I’ll give him hell for both of us. He hurt you just as much as he hurt me.” She gave the younger girl a comforting smile and touched her cheek, which made Skylar feel a bit more at ease and less guilty. “Wait for us out here. We won’t be long.” Skylar nodded and Bree went back to John then they disappeared inside.  
When she could breathe normally again, Skylar went around a corner, looking for a place to sit. She found a bench and breathed a sigh of relief as she sat. Her back, ankles, and feet were already constantly aching being 4 months pregnant.   
_God, how am I gonna keep doing this for another 5 months?_ she thought, groaning at the idea that her discomfort was only going to get worse. _But Claire will be back soon and she’ll probably know ways to get rid of some of the pain._  
That made her smile, remembering that when Claire came back, that would mean she would have Ian with her again as well. She missed him horribly and wanted so badly to be able to hug him and kiss him and just be around him. Not having him with her made her feel like she was living without an arm or a leg, and she wanted her missing limb back as soon as possible.   
She got so excited whenever she imagined him coming home and finding out she was pregnant with his child. She imagined him seeing her and smiling the biggest he ever had and his eyes shining brighter than ever. He would pick her up and spin her around in his arms, feeling joy and happiness that he didn’t even know was possible.  
She put a hand on her bump and spoke to her baby, “Oh, little one, I can’t wait to meet you. But you cannot come out before your dad gets home, okay? Promise?”  
She looked back up and turned her head to the jail, which she still could see from the bench. There was still no sign of Brianna and John. She looked around her view of the town, just people watching, when she saw someone she recognized.   
“Marsali?” she whispered to herself. Her sister-in-law was sitting in a packed wagon that was parked not too far from her. Marsali’s face was very stern, almost like she was trying hard to appear normal, and she would turn to look around as if to make sure no one was watching her.  
Fergus wasn’t with her and Skylar couldn’t help but feel concerned. She stood up and walked towards her.  
“Marsali!” she called when she was close. Marsali’s head snapped to the voice, and when she saw it was Skylar, she was immediately calmed. But that was quickly replaced by confusion.  
“Sky? What on Earth are ye doin’ here?” Not answering right away, Skylar climbed onto the wagon and sat next to her, smiling at the sleeping Germain in his basket placed very carefully in the back. “Who brought ye here?”  
“Brianna and Lord John. They’re at the jail. Is Fergus okay?”  
“What are ye talkin’ about?”  
“Well, you’re sitting here by yourself, looking around like you don’t want to get caught. Is something going on?”  
“We’re fine, Skylar. I promise ye. But right now, ye really should-”  
She was interrupted by a major explosion.  
“What the fuck was that?!” Skylar exclaimed, instinctively holding onto her stomach out of protection. She looked to where the boom had come from, and saw it had been the jail. “Did someone blow up the jail?!”  
“Get in the back, Sky,” Marsali told her, getting much more serious.  
“What are you-”  
“Now!”  
Not understanding but doing as she was told, she climbed over into the actual wagon part and sat on the flat floor of it.   
Within seconds, Fergus jumped up next to Marsali and they took off, not hesitating for a moment. Skylar realized Marsali had been acting as a getaway car for whatever Fergus had been involved with.  
 _Omigod, please please please do not tell me he had something to do with that,_ she begged in her head.  
At the same time Fergus joined them, another man had leapt into the back with Skylar. She recognized right away that it was Murtagh, and he noticed her just as fast.  
“Lass, what the devil are ye doin’ here?” he hissed, trying to keep his voice quiet as he covered himself with blankets to hide.   
“Um…” she started, but she was in such shock at all the events that had taken place in not even a minute’s time, she couldn’t find the words. She stopped trying when she heard Marsali speak.  
She had stopped the wagon for less than a second to say, “Follow us, we have somethin’a yers.”   
Skylar looked over the edge and saw she was talking to Bree and John. As Marsali started them moving again, the two saw Skylar in the wagon and relief washed over their faces. They must have been worried like mad about where she was when they couldn’t find her. She was also glad beyond belief to see they hadn’t been harmed from the explosion.  
“Marsali, what do you mean something of theirs? What are you doing?” Fergus questioned. He got his answer when Skylar popped up behind him.  
“Did you blow up the jail?!” she yelled at him.  
He nearly fell out of the wagon from such an unexpected surprise. “Jesus! What in Holy God!” He turned around in his seat and his eyes got so wide at seeing her, they could’ve have fallen out of his face. “What are you doing here?!”  
“My question first!  
He struggled trying to speak comprehensively at being so taken aback by his sister’s appearance. “Yes,” he finally said, getting close to her to whisper. “We needed a distraction in order to get Murtagh out.”  
“You were arrested? Why?!” she directed to the “pile of blankets.”  
“Let’s save the rest of the questions until we’re somewhere safer,” Marsali advised. And they did. None of them spoke again until they were well out of Wilmington and on a lone dirt path. Skylar had been watching the carriage that held Bree and John follow them the entire way and had been keeping a close distance.  
When both drivers came to a stop, Murtagh threw the blankets off of him, knowing he was in a safe spot to do so.  
“Why are ye no at River Run?” he demanded to know of Skylar. He was definitely not happy to have now seen both of Jamie’s daughters in the town.  
“I came as moral support for Bree,” she said. And as if on cue, Brianna and John appeared at the side of the wagon.   
“What the hell, Skylar? Why did you leave?” Brianna shot as her.  
“I saw Marsali and went to talk to her. I didn’t know I was gonna be part of an escape heist.”  
“Well, the fun and games are over now, lass. The two of ye need te get back te Jocasta,” Murtagh said to both of the girls, giving a side glare to Lord John. He still was not fully entrusting of the Englishman and was not at all enthused that he was supposed to leave the young women in the care of a Redcoat.   
“Please don’t make me go back,” Skylar pleaded. She turned to Fergus and Marsali. “You’re going to Fraser’s Ridge, right? That’s why you packed all your stuff and have Germain. Am I wrong?”  
“Yes, we are. But-” Fergus admitted, but Skylar kept going.   
“Then take me back with you. River Run is great and all, don’t get me wrong, and Jocasta is wonderful. But I want to be at home. Please, take me home.”  
“Skylar, you’re being ridiculous. You can’t stay at Fraser’s Ridge by yourself,” Brianna countered.   
“I won’t be alone. Fergus and Marsali will be with me.”  
John then added, “Skylar, I’m sorry. But Jamie asked me to keep watch over both of you and to make sure no harm comes to you. And with you being in your condition, I must strongly advise you accompany me back to River Run where a doctor can be reached with haste if needed.”  
“Condition? What condition are you in?” Fergus asked her.  
The look Skylar gave John could have killed him on the spot.  
“Oh,” he said, realizing. “They don’t know you’re-”  
“No. They don’t,” she finished for him.  
It took the other three a few moments, and Marsali was the first to figure it out.  
“Skylar, are you pregnant?!” she exclaimed.  
Not even looking at him, Skylar could feel Fergus’ eyes burning into her as he took her silence as a yes.  
“You’re pregnant?” he asked again. His voice was low and he spoke slowly, which was much scarier than him yelling.  
She glanced at Murtagh, fearing the worst from him. But she was shocked, though very relived, that he didn’t look angry. He seemed like he almost expected this, but he definitely wasn’t over the moon excited about the news either.  
She swallowed her jitters and said nervously, “Surprise.” She looked from Murtagh to Marsali and ending on Fergus, who had a look of murder in his eyes.   
“I am going to kill Ian,” he said, his face getting red.  
“He didn’t do anything wrong!”  
“You are not married! He should never have even tried to…” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought.  
Skylar overdramatically rolled her eyes. “Omigod. I’m so sick of that excuse. Before you were married, do you even know how many girls you bedded? Probably not because no one can count that high. Also, don’t forget how you pushed Ian, the same man we are discussing now, to lay with that girl back in Edinburgh out of wedlock.”  
“That is not the same at all. That had nothing to do with protecting my sister’s maidenhead, which she was supposed to save for her husband,” he argued.  
“Well, then it’s a good thing we got married before we did it.”  
“Excuse me?” Marsali cried.  
“What do you mean you’re married?” Fergus responded loudly at the same time.  
“What are ye talkin’ about, married?” Murtagh put in as well on top of them.  
“Okay, we’re not _married_ married. We were handfast the night before he left,” she explained. “But we’re getting married for real as soon as he gets back, so everyone can just calm the fuck down please!”  
“Christ! I should never have let ye go wi’ him alone that night,” Murtagh said.   
“ _Let_ me?” Skylar repeated.  
“You let this happen?” Fergus questioned.  
“I kent how hurt ye both were goin’ te be and I wanted ye te have some happiness together before then. But I didna mean fer ye te have that much happiness. I shoulda kent it was bound te happen. The two’a ye could barely keep yer hands from each other around people, let alone in private.”  
“Look, what’s done is done, okay? And there’s nothing anyone can do to change that,” Brianna stated, trying to bring some peace. “What matters is that Skylar is somewhere safe where she and the baby can be cared for.”  
“You have to go back to River Run,” Fergus told her decidedly.  
“But I-”  
“No, Skylar. There is no arguing. I would love nothing more than for you to be with me, Marsali and Germain. But Lord John is right. You need to be where you can have a doctor rushed to you, God forbid.” When he saw how upset Skylar was, he spoke more softly. “It cannot be too much longer until Ian, Milord and Milady are back. We will all be together very soon. But this is what is best for you, ma soeur. You will be in very good hands at River Run, much better than with just me and Marsali.”  
“I know,” she replied faintly, looking down. She sniffed and asked him, “Do you hate me for this, Fergus?” She brought her eyes back up to his face.  
“Mon dieu, of course not. I could never hate you not matter what could ever happen. I apologize for yelling. Your news, it was just…quite the shock to hear. I’m very happy for the two of you becoming parents, I mean that. This child is truly blessed. I will be even more happy once you and he are married by a priest.”   
Skylar chuckled and smiled at her brother. She stood up and hugged him. When they separated, he cupped her face and said, “Life is never boring with you, is it?” They hugged one more time, then Murtagh helped her out of the wagon.   
Marsali took her hand before they parted and said, “We’ll be waitin’ fer ye back home.”  
“We’ll be there soon.”  
“I’ll be by in a couple weeks te check in on ye two,” Murtagh told them. With a final goodbye from both parties, they each went their own way.  
On the way back, Brianna gave Skylar all the details about what happened between her and Bonnet.   
“I hated saying it,” she told her. She had explained that she told Bonnet the baby was his even though she had every doubt that was the truth. “I just thought it might make dying easier for him. I don’t know why I did that. He doesn’t deserve an easy death. But he’s dead now, that’s all that matters. There’s no way he escaped that blast.”  
“You can rest easy now that you never have to worry about seeing him again.”  
“We both can.” She took Skylar’s hand and they shared a sympathetic smile for one another.   
That night, Skylar kept herself awake until she heard the clock chime midnight and it was officially November 15th.  
She put one hand on her stomach and the other where her necklace used to be. She sighed and whispered, “Happy birthday, Youngin’. Boy, do I have a present waiting here for you.”


	50. Forever

While all of the excitement at River Run was happening, Ian, Jamie and Claire were completely in the dark as they continued on their mission to find Roger.  
But after four endless months, they had finally reached New York. From directions given to them by other Natives and tradesmen they met along the way, they were able to find Shadow Lake.  
However, they didn’t approach the Mohawk right away. They were taking a few days to just scope the village out from a far and look for any sign of Roger without alarming any of the Mohawk.  
On the third day, Jamie had gone on his own, leaving Claire and Ian at their camp.  
“Do ye think we’ll be able te go inte the village by temorrow? We’ve been waitin’ fer days.” Ian asked Claire as he brushed Finley.   
She looked up at him from tending to their fire. “We’ll see what Jamie says when he gets back. We’re going to have to go about this carefully. I don’t know how easily they’re going to give Roger up.”  
“We have plenty te trade with. Hopefully they’ll be as agreeable as they were when I met them last. Then we can finally start fer home again.”  
Claire could hear the longing in his voice for home and understood why he felt that way. She walked to him and said, “I know how much you miss Skylar, Ian. But it won’t be much longer now. You’ll be back with her soon and then the two of you have your whole lives to be with each other.”  
He just gave a very quiet, “Aye,” as his response, and Claire went back to her work, seeing he didn’t want to talk about it more.   
When she was gone, Ian took Skylar’s necklace out from inside shirt where he kept it to make sure nothing would happen to it. He held charm and looked at it. “Missing Skylar” didn’t cover the half of it. Every minute that he was away from her, the emptiness he felt that only being in her presence could fill grew larger. She truly was his life support and not being close to her for this long was like going without oxygen this whole time.   
This feeling was the worst at night when all he wanted was to hold her against him as she slept beside him. He wanted to feel her warmth from her body heat and breathe in her intoxicating scent, which somehow always smelled sweet.  
He also was aching to touch her again and for her to touch him as they had the night they were handfast. After their first time sleeping together, or three, it became like a drug, and he was desperate to satisfy his need for her body. Unfortunately, he now had to go back to relying just on his imagination as he did before. But with the addition of memories from that night and no longer having to just fantasize about what she looked like under her clothes or how it would feel to lay with her, he was able to get himself through this period of being without her.   
Over everything though, he just wanted to see her. He wanted to take her in his arms and call her his wife again. He hoped that they would be able to marry for real almost immediately when he returned so they could finally begin their own life as husband and wife and work at starting a family. The daydreams he had about their future were what was keeping him from losing his mind.  
He was brought out of one of those said daydreams by Jamie’s voice. He kissed the necklace quick, then put it back in his shirt.  
“Claire,” Jamie said, announcing himself.  
She met him halfway. “Any sign of Roger?”  
“No. But the Mohawk ken we’re here. We should make our way inte the village soon.”  
“Teday?” Ian asked.   
“Aye. There’s no use in puttin’ it off any longer. It’ll only make them more suspicious. We should go before it gets dark, and the sun is already low.”  
After taking some time to figure out what their plan would be when they arrived, as well as what Ian would say, they headed onto the path towards the Mohawk and hopefully Roger.  
As they made their way to the village, leading one of their horses carrying all sorts of goods to trade with, none of them could shake feeling as though they were being watched. Rollo could sense something too, letting out a low growl the entire way. Ian knew they weren’t just being paranoid. He caught many glimpses from the corners of his eyes people moving through trees and heard whistles that sounded more like signals than bird calls.   
They all felt the tension and pressure increase drastically as the village came into sight and they walked into it. When they did, the Mohawk that had been following them came out from the trees and joined the large group that gathered in front of the white strangers, unsure if they were peaceful or dangerous.   
Ian was terrified. He knew this all came down to him being able to effectively communicate with them to get the information they needed. But he kept his face as stoic as he could, afraid any show of weakness would be used against him, as well as Claire and Jamie.  
Jamie was the first to speak, in the little bit of Mohawk Ian taught him. “Greetings. Peace,” he said to show they were not a threat. He went on in English, “We’ve come te trade.”  
Murmurs spread throughout crowd, and, seeing it was going okay so far, Jamie nodded to Ian to take over. He swallowed and touched Skylar’s necklace though his shirt, as if she was there to encourage him.   
While some of the villagers came to look at what was being offered, Ian took a breath then went closer to the crowd and said, in their language, “We are looking for a man, for a man we sold to your people.” Those listening looked to each other, as if they had no idea what man Ian was talking about. “Do you remember this?” He held up the large medallion he got at the initial trade, seeing if it would mean anything to anyone. When there was still no response, he turned back to Jamie and took from him the drawing Brianna had made of Roger and showed it to his audience. “This man. Is he here?”   
He handed it to a man in front of him, and a couple others came next to him to look at the drawing closer. “Ehhaokonsah,” one of them said. Ian knew that translated to “Dogface,” but he didn’t understand why the man had said it.  
 _Is that what they’ve been callin’ him? He’s here, then?_ he thought. His heart picked up at this new ray of hope.   
He continued, “We will trade for the man in the picture.” Another member of the Mohawk then came to the front of the group, dressed in a bright red jacket, very similar to what the Redcoats wore, as if he held some high position of power in tribe. He had what looked like blue feathers attached to his head and a large scar on his left cheek, and Ian recognized him instantly.   
Knowing this man spoke English, he said to him in his own tongue, “Do ye remember me? We met a few months ago in North Carolina. The man I sold te ye, we’ve come te buy him back.”  
The women who came forward with him, quietly repeated, “Ehhaokonsah,” to explain and the man understood who she was talking about.   
“I will return this te ye,” Ian went on, showing him the medallion, “if ye return the man te me.”  
The man asked him, in English as well, “Why? What is he to you that you would come all this way?”  
“He’s important te our family.”  
To the woman, he instructed her in the Mohawk language, “Let us take them to Tehwahsehwke.” He walked away quickly and the woman gestured for Ian to come with her. He nodded, then looked to Jamie and Claire, signaling for them to follow him. So the three went along with the villagers to wherever it was they were leading them.  
They were brought in front of a very large hut that was set on top of a hill and the entire tribe circled around them.  
They saw a man come out of the hut, dressed in bright colors and wearing a sort of crown. Ian had to remind himself to breathe as, who he knew was, the chief, Chief Tehwahsehwke, came down the stairs.  
He tried to think optimistically. _This has te be a good sign. If we’re talk in’ wi’ their chief, they must be willin’ te trade wi’ us fer Roger._  
The man Ian had originally traded with whispered something out of earshot to the older man when he reached the ground. Tehwahsehwke stared at three for a moment before approaching them.  
Jamie put bag of tin objects in front of him to show their offerings. When the chief stopped in front of them, the three bowed.   
They were surprised when he spoke to them in English. “You must be a very good friend of his. This man you seek, you brought him whiskey to drink? Metal trinkets as well?” Ian was trying to read his body language to gauge if they were being successful. He was smiling so Ian figured they weren’t failing. “I hope you have not traveled far.”  
Claire jumped in before he could get out another word. “So he’s here then? The man in the picture?”  
Tehwahsehwke kept smiling. “You want him very badly.”  
“Aye. We hope te trade with ye,” Jamie said.   
The chief stared at Jamie, then turned to walk back to talk with his seconds-in-command. He motioned for everyone else to go to Ian, Claire and Jamie to see what interested them.  
Ian went on, speaking in Mohawk about what they had brought, “Come, look. We have blankets, pots. Good whiskey.” He went with Jamie to assist having some of the people try their whiskey.  
But he was very confused when everyone around them suddenly gasped and started to back away from them. He went back in middle of the circle with Claire and Jamie. Everyone was looking at Claire and, clearly, talking about her.   
When the woman who had brought them to chief said with the utmost urgency, “She wears Otter Tooth’s stone,” she spoke in Mohawk, so Ian understood her but Claire nor Jamie knew what the problem was.   
Jamie tried to explain that whatever Claire had done. It was completely innocent. “She meant no harm. She was only tryin’ te show the boy the scarf.”  
“Uncle, it’s no that. It’s the stone Auntie wears,” Ian corrected him.  
Believing it was something of importance to them, Claire asked Tehwahsehwke, “Would you be willing to take this in exchange for our friend?”  
But he shut her down. “No. We will not trade with you. You must leave us at once.”  
Jamie moved in closer to them, feeling like he needed to protect his wife. But the man with the scar got in front of him with his hand on his knife as a warning.  
Ian, while he was watching this play out, was thinking, _We’re so close. This canna be happenin’._  
Claire tried again, begging, “Please. We cannot leave without him.”  
“We will not trade with you. Do not make me say it again. You must leave.” The foreboding tone of the chief’s voice meant the conversation over. When they didn’t leave, he looked again to his seconds and gave them the okay to use more forceful tactics to get them off their land.  
The two men got in their faces and stared them down. The one across from Claire yelled “Go!” in Mohawk.  
Claire knew they had to give in. “Alright. Alright.” She, Ian and Jamie started backwards with the men following them, until the three were able to turn around and walk out.   
None of them spoke until they were far away from the village. They were too nervous that some of the Natives might have followed them and were listening closely and watching their every move.   
Ian didn’t pay attention to what his aunt and uncle were saying. Feelings of upset, disappointment, anger and confusion were rushing through him. He was a fool to have thought it really would have been that easy. There had to be some sort of catch.  
He took in a heavy breath and held the heart charm around his neck. He rubbed it in between his thumb and index finger as he thought, _This will work. It has te. We will try again and we’ll get him. And then, my love, I will return te ye and I will never leave ye again._  
When they got back to camp, they began to unload their horse. But they barely got half the stuff off when Jaime suddenly said, “Don’t move.”   
Ian and Claire froze and their eyes snapped to Jamie. Jamie’s own eyes were darting around the trees, not sure what he was looking for but he knew there was something out there. He slowly went to look behind him and one of the Mohawk ran out and tackled him. Before Ian or Claire could do anything, three more warriors appeared and surrounded them, baring their weapons.  
The same woman from the village came out after and just stood, staring at Jamie fighting his attacker. Jamie was able to take the man’s axe and held it to his throat, glaring at the woman.  
She spoke very simply, “We’re here for the stone. Give it to us. We will not harm you.” She looked to her fellow Mohawk and motioned for them to stand down. They followed her order and lowered their weapons.  
Claire squared up with the woman. “We’ll consider giving it to you if you help us get our friend back.”  
“Very bold, considering we could take the stone from you by force if we wanted.”  
Jamie stood up with his attacker, still with the axe at his throat. “Not all of ye will be walkin’ away whole.”  
“We could return later if you like, try again.”  
Ian stood very still, making sure those still closed in around him could see he had no intention of reaching for a weapon or to threaten them.  
Claire went to the woman to try a make some peace with her. “Please. What is your name?”  
She was hesitant to answer, but then answered, “Wahkatiiosta.”  
“Wahkatiiosta, tell me. Why is this stone so important to you?”  
“That is not something you need to know.”  
“If this,” she held up said stone, “is what will help get my daughter’s husband back to her, I want to know why you want it so badly that you’re willing to kill us over it.”  
Ian was searching his brain for any mention, from his learning with Myers, of any legends, healing properties or anything at all that went along with a certain stone, but he couldn’t think of any.  
When Wahkatiiosta finally agreed to explain, Jamie started their fire again and they all sat around it as she began story.   
She spoke about a man from long ago called Tawineonawira, or “Otter Tooth”, who was the owner of the stone. She said that when he came to Shadow Lake, he would talk about from _when_ he came, rather than from _where_. He said that he had come to warn the Mohawk that they would be wiped out by white men and in order to protect themselves, they needed to strike against the white men first. He led many Mohawk warriors to act on his message. They would often leave the village and then return with white scalps. But those that did not follow him were scared that this violence would only cause the white soldiers to come kill all of them out of revenge, and so the chief at that time banished Otter Tooth from the village. However, he kept coming back again and again to speak more to them about what was to come. But his rants and raves made the Mohawk believe that he was possessed, and on his last time coming back, he was sentenced to death. He had escaped and the men chased him. When they caught him, he begged them to listen to him. But they did not. No matter how much they beat him, he kept going. So they ended his cautionary tales by cutting off his head.  
Wahkatiiosta added, “Tehwahsehwke, our chief, was a young warrior then. He took the head and buried it far, far away.”  
“His skull was with the stone,” Claire stated.  
“How do you know that?” Claire didn’t answer right away. She just stared at the stone in her hands, putting the many puzzle pieces together. “It is said that one who possesses the stone has the power to see how my people’s story will end and that Otter Tooth’s ghost walks with whoever carries it. Has he appeared to you?”  
“Yes. I was lost in a storm, and I took cover under a fallen tree. That is when he came to me. I believe that ghosts only exist when there is something to be remembered, a story worth telling, or a message worth relaying.”  
“Do you believe this Otter Tooth te be right?” Jamie questioned Wahkatiiosta.  
“Yes. I believe he came to warn my people and the stone will enable us to see what is coming.”  
Claire tried again to bargain with her. “If you help us rescue the man that we came to take back, then we will help you preserve the memory of the man who fought for your future. Help us. The stone will be yours.”  
Wahkatiiosta thought for a long time, but at last agreed.  
They set out right away. Wahkatiiosta and then men with her led the three to lake where the canoes they had used to get to the travelers’ camp were still on the shore. They divided themselves into the canoes, with Rollo coming along as well, and paddled across the water silently.  
When they reached the other side, Jamie told Ian to keep Rollo with him and stay at the shore as a look out.  
Ian sat next to Rollo, absentmindedly petting him. He couldn’t stop his fingers on his other hand from rapidly tapping on his knee. Rollo could sense his unease and licked his face. Ian chuckled and kissed the dog’s head.  
After 10 minutes, he stood and stared out over water, playing with Skylar’s necklace in his fingers. “Please let this work. Please let this work so we can go home,” he said out loud to no one.   
He heard Rollo whine and looked down to him when he felt his head nudge against his leg. Ian knelt and scratched his head. “I know, boy. I miss her too. It willna be long now.”  
After another 20 minutes, he was getting anxious. “Christ. Uncle Jamie, Auntie Claire, where are ye?”  
He suddenly heard movement behind him. He whipped head around and called, “Hello? Uncle Jamie? Who’s there?” A group of three Mohawk men then jumped out from trees and grabbed him. They dragged him back to village and all the while Ian was fighting them, yelling at them in English and Mohawk to let him go. He could see they had gotten a muzzle onto Rollo and picked him up and were carrying him along as well.  
The scene he was brought into when they got to the village was horrifying. All of the Mohawk men had surrounded Jamie and Claire with rifles, axes, knives and torches. One of the men landed a blow against Jamie’s back, bringing him to his knees. The Mohawk in the bright red coat from earlier, whose name they learn from Wahkatiiosta was Kaheroton, took Jamie’s gun from his belt and put it to his head. Ian was using every ounce of strength he had to try to break free from the men still holding him, but they were too strong.  
Claire shouted out in Mohawk, “Peace! Peace!” When the attackers ceased, she continued in English, “Stop! It’s over. It’s over.”  
Kaheroton and his fellow second-in-command grabbed Jamie and Claire and brought them, along with the ones still holding Ian, back to Chief Tehwahsehwke’s hut. They were forced down to sit, with the Mohawks that helped them kneeling in a group next to them.   
Put next to Ian was the man he recognized was Roger. The guilt ate at him as he took in Roger’s appearance. He was in bad shape to say the least. His clothes were all but in shreds, he had dried blood and mud all over him and his arm in a sling. He was looking down at ground absolutely dejected, like any last slivers of hope he had for escape were gone. Ian wanted to say something, offer any sort of apology, but he didn’t have the words.  
He lowered his head when the chief came in front of them. He spoke to the Mohawk first, directing his speech to Wahkatiiosta.  
“I banished these people, and you brought them back against the wishes of the council, causing violence and destruction. You are Mohawk. You will never be so again. You will leave the village and never return.”  
Two men came forward and grabbed Wahkatiiosta to escort her off the land. She kept crying, “No! You don’t have to do this! Please! No!” as they took her.  
Ian watched her go as she went past him and his guilt worsened.  
Tehwahsehwke then came to his group. “You are not the reason for this strife. The pains and disharmony caused by Otter Tooth has always been with us. There will be no more trouble, only peace amongst my people. Take the stone. Leave the village. Never return.”  
Jamie let out breathe of relief at his mercy. “We are grateful. I only ask that we may leave wi’ our friend.”  
“There has been no fair trade. Dogface will stay in the village.”   
_There must be something we can do. We canna return te Bree wi’out him_ , Ian screamed in his head.  
Kaheroton and another of the men picked up Roger and started to lead him away, but they stopped when Jamie stood up and said, “Take me.”  
“What?” Claire exclaimed in alarm.  
Ian’s head whipped around to Jamie, and he and Claire bolted to their feet  
“Uncle Jamie, wait.”  
Jamie ignored them. “I’m able-bodied, strong.”  
Claire held onto her husband in desperation. “No, there has to be another way.”  
“There isn’t. I must do this fer our daughter.”  
Ian pleaded with him. “Ye canna do this. Not only does Brianna need ye but Skylar needs ye as well. Yer her Da. Yer the most important person in her life. Ye canna leave her.”  
“Skylar will understand. This is the only way. It’s decided. Ian, tell the council. Convince them.”  
Ian stared at his uncle for a long time, thinking of any way Jamie could get out of this. There was only one option he kept coming back to and the thought of going through with it tore him apart and made him feel like he was suffocating. But Jamie needed to stay with Skylar. She needed him in her life and he had to put her first.  
Ian approached Tehwahsehwke and said to him, in Mohawk, as he felt his heart fully break at what he was about to do, “We have an offer for you.”   
As the council gathered, Ian closed eyes and held Skylar’s necklace tight. _I’m sorry, Skylar. I’m so so sorry, my love, for what I must do. But I have te. Fer ye, I have te do this. I will love you forever. Only ye. Teday, temorrow, forever and then some. Mo bhean, it is out of my love fer ye that I do this. Forgive me, Yank._  
He gave his offer to the council, struggling to hold back tears at every word. It was accepted and all the air left his body. He gave a single nod in response, then they turned back to everyone.   
“We accept,” Tehwahsehwke announced. The crowd exploded with chatter over what this deal could possibly be.  
Through his blurred vision, Ian saw his aunt and uncle holding each other, believing that it was Jamie who would be staying. Roger was brought back to them and left by their side. He also looked confused but more so at ease knowing he would be leaving this place.  
Jamie pulled from Claire and stood strong and tall, ready to face his fate. He went to join the group of Mohawk, but Ian cut him off.  
“I’m stayin’,” he said, his stomach churning.  
Jamie didn’t understand. “Ian, what are ye doin’?”  
“It’s alright, Uncle. Ye are free te go, te take Roger.” He moved gaze to Roger who Claire was holding in a tender embrace .“I’m sorry fer what we did te ye.”  
“Brave and canny move. As soon as ye can, escape, or I’ll come fer ye.”  
Ian took a step closer to Jamie, his heart beating so loud it was all he could hear. “No, I mean it. I’m stayin’.”  
“And live yer life wi’ the Mohawk?”  
“I gave them my word. Dinna make me break it.”  
“Ye gave yer word te Skylar that ye would return te her. She’s waitin’ fer ye back home,” Jamie reminded him.   
Claire from her place with Roger, added, “You can’t leave her, Ian. This will destroy her.”  
No longer able to hold back the tears, he said with such obvious pain in his voice, “Skylar is the most important person in the world to me, and I love her so powerfully with my whole soul. I’d sacrifice anythin’ and everythin’ fer her, even my own life. And that’s why I have te do this. She’s already lost both her parents.” He looked directly at Jamie. “I cannae allow her te go through the pain of losin’ her father again. I could never face her knowin’ that there was somethin’ I could’ve done te keep you with her. She needs ye more than she needs me. She can fall in love again, but she canna find another you. She’ll realize that eventually.”   
“I beg of ye, lad, let it be me. I’ll find a way te get home and back te Skylar. I swear it.”  
“Ye canna be one of them, Uncle Jamie. Ye dinna ken the language or their customs or ways of life. Even if ye could learn, it would only make it more impossible fer ye te leave. And if ye try te escape, they _will_ kill ye. There’s no around that. I can live wi’ them peacefully. They will do no harm unte me.”   
Jamie knew what he was saying was the truth and that there was no changing his mind. He could see in his nephew’s face how agonizing this decision was and that if there was any other way, he would’ve taken it.  
Jamie’s voice was shaking with his own heartbreak as he said, “How can I part wi’ ye?”  
“It will be hard fer us both. But ye must promise that he’ll leave and no come back fer me. I’ve chosen this.”  
“Aye,” Jamie promised, letting his tears fall.  
Claire left Roger to go to Ian and hugged him, both of them outwardly crying. Ian held tight onto her, not wanting to let go.  
When they did separate, Claire held his face and smiled sadly at him. “Is there anything you want us to say to Skylar for you?”  
His heart rebroke every time they said her name. He took a big breath in and let it out. He licked lips and said, “Please tell her that I will love her til the day I die, and I’ll never be able te say how sorry I am. I only ever wanted te have a life wi’ her. Tell her te find someone else te love and live that life with, because she deserves te have someone who will adore her and make her happy. And give this te her.” He unclasped Skylar’s necklace and took it off. He looked at it for a moment then put it in Jamie’s hand, feeling like he was giving up a piece of his soul. “She’ll want it back.” He thought he was going to be sick as Jamie closed the necklace in his hand and took away the last bit of the love of his life he would ever have.  
“We’ll tell her all of it,” was all Jamie could get out without completely breaking down.   
Ian stood in front of him once more and said, trying to hold in sobs, “Ye once said that ye wished me te become a man of worth.”  
“Ye dinna ken how worthy ye are.” He took the young man in his arms and pressed him close “Cuimhnich,” he whispered. “Cuimhnich. Remember.”  
“I willna forget,” Ian swore.  
They stayed in the hug for another few moments, but they knew it was time. Very slowly, they pulled apart and looked at each other. Jamie gave him a nod and Ian walked backwards towards his new life.  
Jamie looked around and gave a very small smile seeing someone bring up Rollo on a leash, happy that those two would not be apart. He bowed to Tehwahsehwke and gave one last glance to Ian before going back to Claire and Roger. Feeling sick about it, they turned their backs to Ian and walked out of the village.   
Ian watched them go until they were out of sight. He closed his eyes while tears kept steadily streaming down his face. His chest hurt and it was hard to breathe. It felt like someone had reached into his chest and was squeezing his heart, waiting for it to burst. With the reality sinking in, his legs gave out and fell to the ground. He couldn’t stop himself from vomiting from the torturous heartbreak of knowing he would never see his family or his soulmate ever again.  
 _I love ye, Skylar Anne Kelley Fraser. I will love ye ferever. I’m so happy I was able te call ye my wife, even fer just a short time._  
As he caught his breath, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and it was Kaheroton. He said, “You are ready?”  
Ian knew that this was the only option. This only way to get Roger back to Bree, and to keep Jamie with Skylar. He needed to put his emotions aside and focus on the good this would bring the people who were most important to him, no matter how painful it was.  
He forced himself to stop crying and wiped his eyes. He stood up, looked Kaheroton in the eye and answered, “I am.”


	51. No

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mention of thoughts of suicide

“Omigod! Omigod! Bree, wake up!” Skylar exclaimed as she burst into Brianna’s room. She climbed onto Bree’s bed as gracefully as she could at five months pregnant and with her small bump no longer just a “small bump.”  
Brianna, very groggily and not even opening her eyes, said, “Skylar, it’s the middle of the night.”  
“I need to tell you what I just saw.”  
“Okay. What?” Her voice didn’t hide that she was more than a little annoyed at being woken up when it had been very hard to find a comfortable enough position to fall asleep in.  
Skylar was talking a mile a minute, clearly excited about whatever story she was telling. “So, I woke up and had to pee like I have to do every, like, 30 minutes. But then I realized I was starving so I went downstairs to see if there was anything left over from dinner.”  
“The point, Sky. Please.”  
“When I was coming down the stairs, I must’ve been super quiet because Jocasta and Murtagh were sitting in the living room talking. But when I came out of the kitchen, I heard them yelling at each other. And being curious, I hid outside the door to spy. Jocasta threw a drink in his face and he grabbed her wrist, and then he kissed her!” That made Bree wake up and she sat up. “What?”  
“I know! They were just, like, making out, so I ran back upstairs into my room. But then I heard them walk past my door and they were whispering and giggling, and then I heard Murtagh’s door open and they went inside and shut the door. I poked my head out and I heard it lock! That’s when I came in here.”  
“Omigod! Murtagh and Jocasta?”  
“Dad will love this. His godfather and his aunt. What a twist.”  
The next morning, Brianna and Skylar were surprised not to see Jocasta waiting for them at the dining room table. They gave each other an amused look as they sat and the food was brought out.  
“Maybe she wanted to sleep in,” Skylar pretended to guess.  
Brianna added in on the act. “Murtagh too. Maybe they had a restless night.” Skylar snorted at her joke and covered her mouth before she made any more noise.  
15 minutes later, Jocasta came into the room and took her place at the table.  
“Good mornin’, dears. I apologize for me tardiness.”  
“It’s no problem. Did you sleep well?” Skylar asked her.  
“Aye, I did. Better than I have in a long while.”  
Bree replied, “That’s great, Auntie.”  
“Will Murtagh be joining us?” She caught a light blush cross the older woman’s face when he was mentioned.  
“Aye. He should be down soon, I imagine,” she answered, then promptly changed the subject. “How are ye two feelin’? Brianna, yer almost at term, I believe?”  
“Yes. Just one more month if everything goes right.”  
“Ye have nothin’ te fear. Phaedra is a wonderful midwife. She’s helped deliver many many bairns inte the world.”  
“I’m, so glad I’ll be in such capable hands. I am pretty nervous about it, to be honest.”  
“I feel the same way,” Skylar shared, putting her hands on her stomach.  
“Yer husband-te-be should be back well before ye give birth, so he’ll be there te hold yer hand and help ye through it.”  
“I hope so. And I’ll be there to hold your hand through it.” She took her sister’s hand and smiled at her. She knew how much Bree was hoping that Roger would be here before the baby came. But as the time narrowed down, that likelihood of that happening became less and less. Brianna smiled back at her and squeezed her hand.  
When Murtagh did eventually come down, Skylar asked him how long he was planning on staying.  
“Oh, I plan te be here til the lot of them come back.”  
“Really?” she responded. “I thought you were wanting to get back to Fraser’s Ridge as soon as possible.”  
Murtagh lowered his eyes and shifted in his chair, feeling slightly awkward. “I, uh, decided te bid me time here. Enjoy the luxury’a more than just scraps te eat.”  
“And we welcome ye te stay fer however long ye feel needed,” Jocasta told him. She touched his arm for only a second before retracting it out of fear their new relationship would be discovered; not knowing that it already had been by the two young women. Skylar and Bree exchanged a knowing glance to each other, and Skylar had to bite her lip to keep from cackling.

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“Have you decided on a name yet?” Skylar asked Bree while sitting on her bed. “You could go into labor any day now, and you don’t want your baby to get used to you calling them ‘baby.’”  
Another month having gone by, Bree rubbed her very large now nine month pregnant stomach. “I have some options in my head that I like. But I don’t wanna choose anything definite until Roger comes back.”  
“What are you thinking?”  
“For a girl, I’ve always liked the names Kimberly or Susan.”  
“I don’t think I ever met a girl my age named Kimberly or Susan. Those are such ‘mom names’ in the 21st Century. But I guess that makes sense since babies born in the 60s would be moms in the 2000s. Anyway, what about for a boy, since Phaedra is so set that you’re gonna have a boy..” Because she was carrying low, Phaedra certain it was a boy; one of the “signs” she had learned growing up. “You could name him John, after your gay fake husband.”  
Brianna couldn’t hold back a loud, “ Ha! I look forward to having ‘Uncle John’ be in my baby’s life, but as a husband? I already have the letter ready to send out, tragically and sadly having to call of our engagement because my true love has returned.”  
Skylar laughed out loud. “Omigod, Jocasta will love that.”  
Bringing them back to the original topic, Brianna went on. “ Anyway, if it is in fact a boy, I was thinking about getting Da’s name in there somehow.”  
“A Wee Jamie?”  
Bree laughed. “I was thinking one of his middle names, like Alexander. That’s a really nice name. But, James is good too. I don’t know, I need to talk to Roger about it. This is his child too.”   
It made Skylar so happy to hear her sister talk more optimistically about Roger and their future every day. “And he should be home very soon. Da and Claire and Ian can’t be too far away. It’s been six months now, how much longer can it be?”  
“Do you think Ian will have any opinions when it comes to your baby’s name?”  
“He told me a while ago that if we were going to have a boy, he would want him to be called Ian. I shut that down immediately.”  
“Not a fan of the name?”  
“Like I told him, I love the name for him and his father, but three Ian Murrays in the world is a perfect t example of too much of a good thing.”  
“Well, what names do you like?”  
“I’ve been trying to think of some, but out of the ones I heard and really liked growing up, they don’t really fit in with this time period. But living here for so long now, I’ve come across some that are really nice and familiar to my time as well, like Abigail, Hannah or Leah for a girl. And for a boy, I’ve fallen in love with the name Oliver. Can you imagine a tiny baby boy with his father’s curly red hair and blue eyes named Ollie? It’s so cute.”  
“Aww, I love that. I think th-” She stopped mid-sentence grabbed her stomach, leaning forward slightly and closing her eyes. That gave Skylar some concern.  
“Are you okay, Bree?”  
She took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. “Yeah. Yeah, um, I think – I think it’s coming soon.” She opened her eyes and continued, “I’ve had pretty bad cramping on and off all day. I think my body is just preparing me for the real thing?”  
Skylar stood up and went next to her. “How far apart have the cramps been?”  
“They started every 15 minutes or so, but now it’s like every five. It could just be Braxton Hicks.”  
“Pain wise, are they getting worse or staying the same?”  
“Worse, definitely worse.” She grabbed the arm of her chair and let out loud groan in pain.  
“Okay, Bree, I think you’re in _labor_ labor.”  
“But my water hasn’t broken. Isn’t that the first sign?”  
“Not always. I’m going to go get Phaedra. Don’t move.” She ran, or speed walked in her condition, as fast as she could to find Phaedra. She told her what was happening and she and Jocasta, who had been with her, went with Skylar back to Brianna.  
When they walked into the room, saw the expectant mother standing up and doubled over, holding tight onto her belly and obviously in horrible pain.  
Breathing heavy, she turned her head to the three. “You were right, Sky. It’s time. My water broke.” She lifted the hem of her dress to reveal puddle of clear liquid around her feet.   
Phaedra jumped into action. She called for Lizzie and Mary to bring supplies then got Bree out of her dress to leave her in just her shift and let her hair down.  
The period of labor waiting for her to get to ten centimeters dilated took an endless 6 hours. All of the women helped her walk around the room and lead her through breathing exercises to speed up the process. Skylar tried to do all she could for Bree, like offer herself up for her to lean against as she rode out the contractions that were only getting more intense, or when she was advised to sit in certain positions, Skylar would massage her lower back to help ease her pain even the least amount.  
As each hour went by, underneath her being outwardly encouraging and positive, Skylar was terrified. She knew this was something she would be going through this before long, and seeing Brianna in such agony made her very uneasy about what was to come for herself.  
 _Claire will have stuff_ , she thought. _She’ll have something that will make it a bit more bearable. Jesus Christ, I never thought that I would be so desperate to get a shot in my back._  
Finally, it was time to deliver. When Bree started for the bed, Phaedra stopped her and directed to the chair. She had her hold onto the arms of the chair and squat to push.  
As she did, her face got so red she looked sunburned and her hair was stuck to her head and neck from sweat. When she would rest in between pushes and she would start saying how she couldn’t do it anymore and wanted to stop, Skylar reminded her of the outcome of this torture.  
“Your baby is almost here, Bree. You’re gonna be a mom. You’re so close, just a little bit longer. Just think about Roger meeting his child. You’re doing amazing, but you have to keep going,” which would help to keep her going. And when she was just at the end and baby’s head almost out, but felt all her energy draining, Skylar said to her, “Show me you can do this. Show me it’s possible. I’m going to be doing this very soon, and if I can see you make it through, I’ll know I can too. If you give up, I won’t be able to go through it. For me, Bree. Keep going.”  
Her words got Bree to give another two pushes and then the baby was here. After delivering the afterbirth, Lizzie and Mary lowered her to sitting in the chair as Phaedra cut the umbilical cord and took the brand new infant to clean them.  
As she watched Phaedra work on him from her spot next to Bree’s chair, she whispered, “Omigod. Omigod. It’s a baby. Bree, you did it, you really actually did it! Holy shit!” She looked at new mom and saw she had fallen asleep. Lizzie blotted sweat off her forehead and used cold linen to cool her skin while Jocasta called for Ulysses to carry Bree to her bed and lay her down.   
While she slept, Skylar walked over to little person that just joined the world.  
“What is it?” Skylar asked Phaedra, who was swaddling it, meaning was it a boy or a girl.   
“Tis a healthy baby boy, Miss Kelley. Ye have a wee nephew.”   
“You were right.” Phaedra smiled in response.  
Skylar watched in wonderment as Phaedra finished wrapping him and picked him up, cradling him. He let out few soft cries and Phaedra cooed, “There there, laddie. Yer fine. No need te cry. Ye’ll see yer Ma soon.”  
“May I hold him?”  
“Of course, Miss.” She carefully handed bundle to his aunt. A small breathy gasp escaped her throat and tears almost immediately filled her eyes as she looked at his face, so peaceful and relaxed. “It will nae be long before yer holdin’ yer own bairn, Miss Kelley, ye and yer betrothed.”  
In that moment, Skylar forgot all about the ungodly amount of pain she had just witnessed Brianna experience. All that remained was the little boy and he was so much more than worth the strenuous labor.  
Skylar spoke softly to him, “I am going to spoil the heck out of you. Whatever you want, if your mom says no, I’ll always say yes. That’s a promise. I can’t wait for you to meet your cousin. I hope you two will be best friends.”  
When she said that, she suddenly felt a flutter of movement inside her. She let out another larger gasp and put one hand on her stomach, no longer able to hold back the happy tears that had already gathered and they fell down her face.  
She said to her unborn child, “Can you hear me, sweetheart? I already love you more than I can bear and I haven’t even met you yet. And your daddy and I can’t wait to meet you.”

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Skylar held tight to the railing as she made her way downstairs.  
 _This watermelon I’m wearing does not make it easy to move around easy._  
Her head turned to the voice of a person she didn’t know was there. “Well, well, well. Look who decided to join the world of the living.”  
She sat down next to Brianna on a small bench in front of a window in the foyer. “I could kill you,” she said with a death glare. “But, I will spare you only because I don’t want to cause this little cherub any early childhood trauma.” She held the baby boy’s hand in her own and stroked it very gently with her thumb. “God, it is impossible to get out bed these days. And then when I am able to finally get myself to just sitting up, I’m exhausted all over again.”  
“I remember too well. I’m so sorry if he’s waking you up at night.”  
“It’s no problem. I just think of it like practice for when this one comes.” She rubbed a hand over her much larger belly. “More often than not, though, I tire myself out so much trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in that when I do fall asleep, I slip into a coma and absolutely nothing can wake me up.”  
“You’re almost done with this part though. Eight months, I can’t believe it.”  
Skylar scoffed. “Neither can I. Ian better hurry up and get here, he’s running out of time.” She looked down when she felt a big kick from her baby. She patted her stomach and said, “I know, I know. You’re getting anxious to come out. But you’ll have to wait just a bit longer. You are not coming out without your dad here, got it?” She looked back at Bree. “He’s the one that did this to me, so it’s his husbandly responsibility to see me through this.” Both girls laughed, but looked up when they saw Murtagh come in.  
“I’m no interruptin’ ye two, am I?” he asked.   
“Not at all. Come join us,” Skylar told him. He sat in a nearby chair and smiled at the little boy on Brianna’s lap.  
“And how is Baby Mac teday?”  
“He is so good today,” Brianna answered him. “He’s eating and sleeping and pooping just as he should be.”  
“I cannot wait for Roger to get here so you can give your son a real name and we can stop calling him Baby Mac,” Skylar said.   
“His last name _is_ Mackenzie, so it works for a stand-in.”  
“Still. You want a real name, don’t you, sweetie?” she inquired of the infant. “Tell Mama to pick something and say screw your dad’s opinion.”  
“Language, sister,” Brianna reacted, covering her son’s ears.  
“I can promise ye, lass, he’s goin’ te grow up hearin’ much worse around this family,” Murtagh warned her. “Christ, I canna believe how much he’s grown in such a short time.”   
“I know. Two months old today. How did that happen?”  
“He’ll be a tall and sturdy lad. He’ll be towerin’ over ye in a few years’ time.”  
Skylar smiled as they spoke, imagining what her and Ian’s child would look like. If the baby would look more like him or her, have his height or be shorter like their mother. It was exciting to think about, but terribly scary as well.  
Her thoughts were cut off by Phaedra running in wearing an enormous grin.  
“Miss Bree! Miss Kelley!” She stopped, curtsied, then went on. “Drusus came racin’ inte the cookhouse sayin’ he saw riders comin’ down through Campbell’s fields, and one of them is your mother. They’re comin’ up the front road now.”  
Skylar’s stomach exploded with butterflies and she turned to Brianna. She looked just as excited as Skylar was.   
“Dinna fash, lasses. Go on,” Murtagh told them.   
The two young women smiled widely and stood up, heading for the door. But Skylar stopped before they went outside.  
“I’ll meet you out there,” she said, and then ran up the stairs to her room.   
She opened her wardrobe and grabbed the largest cloak she had. She put it on and wrapped it around her stomach. She didn’t want it to be the first thing Ian saw. She wanted to surprise him. She looked herself over in the mirror.  
 _Omigod. This is it. It’s time. Please God, please let him be happy about this. And please don’t let Dad shoot him on sight._  
She let out a slow exhale, then went back downstairs.  
Before opening the door, she took another moment to prepare herself and then opened the door. She was confused when she was not met by the happy picture she was imagining. She saw Claire and Jamie, both looking very solemn, and Claire hugging Bree as tight as she could.   
She hurried to them and asked, “What’s wrong?”  
Claire pulled from her daughter and looked at the second girl. She saw so much sadness in the older woman’s eyes.   
Claire opened her mouth to answer, but before she could say a word, Brianna spoke, with tears trickling down her cheeks, “Roger left. He went back to his time. He’s gone.” It was barely above a hoarse whisper, but Skylar understood her perfectly, and her heart broke for her sister.   
“Brianna, I’m so sorry.” She squeezed her shoulder in an effort to comfort her, but she knew that wasn’t nearly enough. “I-I have no idea what else to-” She looked back at Jamie and Claire, and then noticed. Ian wasn’t with them. “Where’s Ian?”  
With the same pain they had looking at Brianna, they looked at her.  
Skylar could tell something was wrong. She took her hand from Bree’s shoulder and faced them square on. “Where’s Ian?” she asked again, panic starting to set in and come through in her voice. They didn’t answer her. They looked at each other, trying to find the right words to say. “Please tell me where the hell he is right now.” She was trying to keep herself calm, but the way they were acting was making that very difficult.  
Jamie swallowed hard and knew he needed to just say it. Stalling would only make the truth worse. “It wasna easy gettin’ Roger back. The Mohawk were refusin’ te give him te us without a fair trade.” He stopped.  
“And?” Skylar pressed, already feeling like she was going to throw up. She held her cloak closed in such tight fists, she could feel her nails digging into her hands.   
“And,” Jamie continued after a long beat, “Ian gave himself te stay in Roger’s place. He decided te stay and live amongst the Mohawk so that we could take Roger back.”  
The world fell silent around Skylar and everything seemed hazy, her vision fading in and out of black. She didn’t know how long she had been in that state, but when she did eventually come to, she started laughing, not believing it was real. “No. No he didn’t,” she argued, still laughing madly. “He-he would…he wouldn’t do that. No. No…No, h-h-he promised that he would come back. He prom – he swore it.” She looked back and forth between Jamie and Claire, and she saw how serious they looked. She looked at Brianna who still had her own tears running down her face but looked in shock and beyond devastated for her sister. “Sky, I can’t even begin-” She reached out to touch her, but Skylar moved back. Her laughing had stopped.   
She shook her head over and over and she kept saying, growing more hysterical, “No. No, he…he _promised_. He _swore_ to me that he would come back to me. He gave me his word! He wouldn’t do that! He wouldn’t just leave me like that! No! No, you’re lying!” She was seeing black spots and was starting to hyperventilate. She grasped at her chest and her legs gave out, making her fall to the ground. She held onto her arms and bent almost to the ground.  
Brianna immediately was next to her and said, with her own unbearable pain still evident in her voice, “Skylar. Skylar, look at me. Look at me.” With every bit of effort she had, she was able to lift her head to Bree. “You need to breathe, okay? You have to keep breathing. You need to for your baby. Your baby needs you to breathe.”  
“Baby?” Claire repeated, utterly dumbfounded by Brianna saying that word.  
Skylar didn’t notice Claire nor Jamie’s reactions. She truly thought that in this moment her heart was going to give out and she was going to die. Her entire body felt numb except for the intense sensation of pins and needles in her arms and legs. She could feel the bile coming up her throat and she didn’t try to stop hit, letting herself vomit onto the ground. She felt as though she wasn’t in her body or was no longer connected to reality. But somewhere in her, she knew Brianna was right. She needed to make herself breathe for her child. For her and Ian’s child. She needed to calm down.   
Unable to control her shaking, she reached her hand out for Brianna, which she took. She forced air through her nose which she exhaled slowly out of her mouth again and again and again until her mind was clear enough to speak.  
“Grass…” she started listing, touching the yard next to her. “Ro-rocks…h-h-hand.” Brianna squeezed her hand encouragingly. “See water…um-hor-horses…dirt.” She gasped as her hand went to her bump. “Kicking,” she whispered. “I feel kicking.” Her sweat mixed with more tears falling down her face as her heart kept rebreaking into millions of tiny irrevocable pieces.  
After a torturous number of minutes, Skylar felt able to stand and Brianna helped her to. She stared at the ground and was taking uneven, but slow, breaths. She felt ice cold.  
When she seemed to be in a place where she could talk again, Claire asked her, “Skylar, are you pregnant?”  
She slowly looked up, and then moved her cloak away from her stomach, revealing the big surprise. Looking between Jamie and Claire, she choked out, “Ian and I were handfast the night before you all left. I found out three months after.”  
“Oh, Skylar,” Claire said, empathy dripping from her voice. She reached out to hug the girl, but she backed away.  
“Please don’t,” she whispered, lowering her eyes.  
Unable to watch his daughters suffer anymore, he suggested they all move inside the house. And with a heavy and sad feeling over them all, they did.  
The moment they walked through the door, without saying anything or giving a glance to anyone, Skylar retreated up the stairs as fast as she was able, ignoring Jamie and Claire calling out to her.   
Once in her room, she slammed the door and faced it. She stared at it silently for a moment, then let out a bloodcurdling scream with the word, “WHY?!” not able to care less that everyone in the house could gear her. She dropped to the floor and broke down. Once she started, she couldn’t stop. She brought herself to sit against the door and was screaming all the while she was crying harder than she ever had. She reached for the bin she knew was near her door and threw up into it.   
Once she had no more tears left in her, she pulled herself up and stumbled to her bed. She sat down and just stared at the wall.  
 _How could he do this?_ she thought. _How could he leave me? Didn’t he think about what this would do to me?_  
Some sadness was beginning to disappear and raging anger was replacing it. Her nostrils flared and she grit her teeth, her nails clawing at her blankets. She was furious that he did this, not thinking about anyone but himself, not thinking about how this would destroy her.   
_What the fuck is wrong with him?! We were married! I was his wife and promised to return to me! You lied! You fucking lied! You said you would never lie to me again and you broke that. How dare you?!_  
She picked up the closest object to her, which was a tea cup and saucer left there from last night, and hurled it against the wall. “AHHHH!” she screamed as she did. Her breathing was no longer shaky but very heavy and she could feel her chest heaving with each inhale. She stared at the shattered porcelain and lowered herself back to the bed.   
Her thoughts were disturbed by someone knocking at her door. “Skylar?” She could hear it was Jamie, but she didn’t answer. He waited to hear if she would say something, and when she didn’t, he let himself in. He paused in the doorway and looked at her. He was in his own pain seeing his daughter in such a state. He wanted to help her, to comfort her, but he knew that wouldn’t be easy. He walked over and sat next to her. He just sat there at first, not saying anything. He wanted to wait for her to speak first. He would wait however long she needed.  
“How could he do this?” she finally said in the softest whisper and still staring at the wall. “He knew I was waiting here for him.”  
“I promise ye, lass, this was not an easy choice fer him. He kent all too well how hurt ye’d be.”  
“Yet he still made the choice.” Her words were sharp and poison filled.   
“I ken that part of the reason for him doin’ this was because he felt he needed te take responsibility fer bein’ part of why Roger was in that situation in the first place. Tis likely he felt this would bring him peace fer his actions.”  
She started yelling again. “Then let Roger beat the shit out of him. Find some other way to beg his forgiveness. Don’t throw away everyone and everything that mean anything to you and start a new life without them.”   
Jamie closed his eyes and took a silent breath. “He did this te save me life.”  
Skylar looked at him for the first time since he came in. “What do you mean?”  
“I had intended to be the one te stay with the Mohawk. My plan was te live as one of them fer however long I needed te so I would no be under any suspicion, and then I would escape. I didna ken how long that would’ve been. It may have been a matter of weeks, or could have been years, if at all. Ian though…he’s smart. He kent if I stayed, I wouldna be able to get out of there alive. He knew I was needed here with Bree and Claire…and ye.” He put his hand on top of hers that rested on the bed. “However, he kent that if _he_ stayed and lived as one of them, they would let us go with Roger, peacefully, and that he would no be in any danger. And that _ye_ would be cared fer and loved and protected in the way ye need te be from yer father. _That_ was the most important thing te him and why he ultimately did what he did. He needed ye te have yer Da wi’ ye. He was not goin’ te rob ye of another father, he told me. It was a great sacrifice he made, Skylar, fer ye, fer me, fer our family. But, believe me, it was not one he came te wi’out feelin’ immeasurable pain over it himself.”  
Skylar’s eyes were stinging again with tears. She closed them and let them fall.  
“He asked me te give this te ye,” Jamie continued. He took something out of his pocket and put it in Skylar’s hand. It was the necklace from her mother that she had given him as a wedding ring. She let out a sob seeing it and covered her mouth, trying to keep more sobs in. “He kent ye would want it back.”  
Her hands still shaking, she closed her fist around the necklace and held it to her chest. That made it real for her. He was really gone and not coming back. He wasn’t hers anymore.  
Skylar didn’t leave her room for the rest of the day and into the night. She laid still on her side, facing the window. She looked at the empty space next to her and could see Ian there, his eyes bright and smiling at her. She continued to cry quietly as she touched the cold pillow where Ian once laid and held her close to him, telling her everything was okay and she was safe with him. She was still holding her necklace. She stared at it in her hand, but her head was empty. There were no thoughts running through it. She felt like she was no longer alive and she was in some strange dream that she desperately wanted to wake up from.  
A soft knock came from her door. She didn’t responded to it, but the person still came in. She could tell it was actually two people from the footsteps. She felt someone sit on the bed.  
“Skylar?” came a kind voice. It was Claire. “We brought you dinner.” She said nothing. “You need to eat, darling. It’s vital you do for your child.”  
“’kay,” was all she gave. She heard heavier footsteps come around to the other side of the bed. She saw Jamie’s face and he knelt in front of her.   
“A leannan, we want te talk te ye. Will ye let us?” She nodded. Jamie looked to Claire, then back to her. “We te ask ye about where ye would like te be.”  
She didn’t understand. “What?”  
“What he means is,” Claire took over, moving more onto the bed. She placed a soft hand on Skylar’s back, “if you felt that going back to Fraser’s Ridge would be too painful for you, and you would rather go back to your own time, or go to stay at Lallybroch, we would understand.”  
“Do you not want me anymore because I’m gonna be a mother with no husband?”  
“Christ, no,” Jamie told her. “We dinna think like that at all. Ye are our child, blood of my blood and bone of my bone. We want ye with us with more than our whole souls. But because of our unbreakable love fer ye, we cherish yer happiness over all else.”  
“Wherever you want to call home for you and your child, we support you no matter the choice.”  
Skylar sniffed, trying to hold back tears that she didn’t know were still in her. She rolled onto her back and sat up with Jamie and Claire’s assistance. She looked at both of them and said, “I want to be with my family. With my parents,” she took their hands, “my sister, my brother. I want to be with you.” She ended with her watery gaze on Jamie.   
He kissed her hand affectionately. “Then it shall be so.”  
They stayed at River Run for only three more days after Jamie and Claire came back. Brianna had found it in herself to come out of her room during those days and interact with the other people around her. Skylar remained isolated in her room, with Claire bringing her food. She would then sit with her to make sure she ate. It would sometimes take a couple hours for her to finish a meal, not feeling like she could stomach anything. But Claire would be there for her, speaking or not, whatever Skylar was wanting at that particular time.   
She didn’t sleep. She would stay awake at night, trying to rearrange the life she had planned out so detailed in her head of her and Ian, married and raising their first child.   
There were several times over those three days where she felt that she no longer wanted to continue living. She would look at the letter opener lying on the small table, or out her window, wondering if one method would be less painful and quicker than the other. But as if it knew, every time one of these dark urges entered her mind, she would feel her baby move and it would bring her back. She needed to stay alive and give her child the best life she possibly could.   
The day they were to go back to the Ridge, Skylar sat in the parlor, waiting for the others to be ready to leave. She was trying to tune out the noise around her when Brianna came sprinting downstairs.  
“Bree, what is-” Claire started, but she was out the door before she could finish. Claire ran to the window. “Omigod,” she whispered.  
“What is it?” Jamie asked, joining her. “Jesus Christ,” was his reaction when he saw.  
“Well, dinna keep us in suspense,” Murtagh said.  
Claire turned to the room and said, “It’s Roger.”  
Skylar didn’t react. She sat frozen, not paying attention to when Redcoats came through the door, or when Jamie received an order that he had to hunt and kill Murtagh. She didn’t notice when Brianna came back inside until she heard her say, “Skylar?” She lifted her eyes from the floor and there stood her sister with a man next to her who she guessed was Roger. He looked like he had been through hell. His clothes were in rags, his hair was mangy and he was covered in dried blood and dirt. She looked away and to the wall. Brianna tried again, “Skylar, this is Roger. He’s back. He came back.” Tears started to well up in Skylar’s eyes but she fought against them.   
“It’s an honor te meet ye, Skylar,” Roger said to her. A beat went by without a response from her, so he went on. “I was told yer Young Ian’s lass.” Skylar grit her teeth and tightened her grip on her stomach at hearing him say Ian’s name. “I am ferever indebted te him. He saved my life. I’ll never be able te thank-”  
“It’s very nice to meet you, Roger,” she said, suddenly standing up. She had had enough of him talking to her and she wanted to get away from him. “I’m very happy you’ve come back to Brianna. If you’ll excuse me.” She quickly walked into a room as far away as she could get.   
They decided to stay at River Run an extra week for Roger to build his strength up. And for that week, Skylar avoided him like the plague. If she did venture out of her room and he was in a space she had entered, or came into one she was in, she immediately left. She didn’t want to be anywhere near him and she didn’t want to talk to him. Just seeing him reminded her of where her husband was, and she did still call Ian her husband. She thought about him every minute of every day and didn’t want it shoved in her face what had happened to him.   
That night, Brianna knocked on her door. “Come in,” she called, softly.   
Bree opened the door and walked inside. She saw Skylar lying on her bed, holding her stomach.  
“We’re all sitting down for dinner. We’d love for you to join us.”  
“No, thank you.”  
Brianna walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed. “I understand how much pain you’re in, Sky. You know I do. But we just-”  
“You don’t though,” Skylar interrupted her. She looked at Bree. Her words were as void of emotion as her eyes. “You don’t know the pain I’m feeling. You did for a little while. But now you don’t.” She sat up and continued. “Bree, I am so happy for you that the love of your life came back to you. Believe me, I am, with my whole heart. But mine didn’t. The love of my life, my husband, did not come back, and he never will. And every time I look at Roger, I’m reminded of that. So please, forgive me if I want to avoid the man that caused Ian to leave me.”   
“Sky-”  
“You get to raise your baby with Roger. Your child gets to know his father, and his father will be in his life forever. Roger gets to see his son grow up. See his first steps, hear his first words. You get a family. My baby will never meet their father. Hell, Ian will never even know that he is a father. I don’t get a family with him. I’m alone.” She laid back down, facing the window and away from her sister. “Please go, Bree.”  
Not wanting to push her and hurt her more, she did as she was told and left.  
When she heard the door close, Skylar held onto her necklace that she had at last put back on. She closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep so she wouldn’t cry anymore.


	52. As Long As We Both Shall Live

The journey back to Fraser’s Ridge from River Run was uncomfortable, to say the least. Jamie and Claire rode their horses while Brianna and Roger drove the wagon. Roger led the horses while Bree sat next to him and held their baby, whose name, they finally decided, was Jeremiah, after Roger’s father, though they made the choice to call him Jemmy for short. Murtagh had been hidden in the back under piles of blankets and with bags surrounding him on all sides. After receiving Tryon’s order for Murtagh’s hunt that Jamie was to lead, Jamie thought that last place he would be searched for would be with him. But he was extra cautious to make sure his godfather was totally out of sight the entire ride home, even when they would need to stop during the night.   
Skylar was in back, as well, but she sat at edge of wagon, staring emptily at the road behind them.  
She didn’t speak at all the whole way. She kept hold on her stomach and barely looked up from ground, only giving small noises as answers when directly spoken to, or one word if the person asking was lucky. Jamie, Claire and Bree tried to interact with her as much as they could, even when she wouldn’t respond. But the only time she showed any sort of emotion was when Bree would have her hold Jemmy. She would give the baby boy a tiny smile and try to be happy. Try as she might, along with the intense love she felt for her nephew, one or two tears would fall and then she would quickly give Jemmy back and return to her numb state.  
She was also still keeping as much distance from Roger as possible. She would not speak to, look at, or sit or stand near him. Roger would always attempt to engage with her, but despite his efforts, she rebuffed him every time. Bree understood that she was in a cruel amount of pain and it would take an extremely long time to recover with almost no chance at ever fully healing, but she wanted so badly for Skylar and Roger to be friends. She loved both dearly and she didn’t want this tension and animosity to stay between them forever, or God forbid, get worse. So she kept pushing Roger to approach her. And though he always knew what the outcome would be, he kept trying because he felt the same. He knew how important Skylar was to Brianna and he wanted a good relationship with who would, one day very soon, become his sister-in-law. But he, as did the others, were clear on the fact that they were going to have to be patient with her for any progress to be made.  
Bree had told Jamie when he and Claire got to River Run that Fergus and Marsali had moved to the Ridge while they were gone, so Jamie had sent them a letter explaining all that had happened with the Mohawk. Because of that, when they at last returned home, the two of them were outside the cabin waiting for them. Fergus ran to wagon to help Skylar out, and once her feet were on ground, he pulled her into him and held her in his arms, taking care not to squeeze her too tight because of the baby. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face into his chest. She fought against more tears that were begging to be released, but Fergus could hear her sniffling against him. He held her like that until she was ready to pull away, and when she did, Marsali was right next to her to bring her into another loving sisterly hug for however long she needed. Neither of them mentioned anything to her about Ian, nor did she.  
All she said when she separated from Marsali was, in a half whisper, “I’m very tired. I going to sleep.”  
“Take our bed, sweetheart,” Claire told her. “You can’t sleep in your tiny one when you’re this pregnant. We’ll make do in the shelters.”  
“Okay,” was her only response, then walked into cabin.  
She never left the bed. Claire, Bree and Marsali took turns bringing in food for her to eat. She would try to refuse it, but was always reminded that she needed to eat for her child if nothing else. She then would very slowly pick at the food until it was gone. The three woman hardly spoke while she ate, unsure of what to say and afraid of upsetting her even more. But they each would sit with her the entire time to just let her know they were there.  
For dinner that night, Fergus wanted to be the one to bring her her meal.  
He opened the door and looked to the bed. He could see the silhouette of Skylar on her side, facing away from him and under the blankets.  
“Ma soeur?” he called out softly. No answer. He continued to bed and sat in the chair placed next to it. “I’ve brought you dinner.”  
“I suppose you’re gonna tell me I need to eat it for the baby.” Her voice was raspy from her continuous crying.  
“It seems I do not have to since you already know.”  
She made her way onto her back and Fergus helped her to sit up. She took the plate and blankly stared at meat and vegetables laid on it before picking up one of the tiny pieces it had already been cut into.   
It felt like a knife was being stabbed in Fergus’ gut as he watched his sister who was usually so bright and full of joyful energy, now act as an empty shell walking around with no life in it. She was ghostly pale and dark circles under laid under her eyes. Her mouth was in permanent frown, and he would do anything, he would go to ends of earth and back again, to make her happy and to see her smile and laugh once more.   
He thought that he might be the one to be able to get her to talk back in a conversation. He had been able to help her through many difficult and challenging events in time he knew her, he wanted to see if he could again. He talked to her about Germain and the cabin he and Marsali were living in that Jamie had built for them the year before. He said how he’d been telling Germain he had a cousin coming, and even though at one year old he didn’t understand, Fergus knew they would be the best of friends, along with Jemmy. He brought up many subjects, all joyful and all avoiding the elephant in room, but with no luck. She didn’t give a single word in response. She didn’t even look at him. He continued, however, also talking to the baby without touching her. He introduced himself as Uncle Fergus and told them all about the family they’ll be joining that couldn’t wait to meet them, that he or she was the luckiest child in the world to have a mother as wonderful as Skylar. He kept going until she was finished eating.  
As she he stood up, he asked, “Can I get you anything else? Something to drink? More food? Is the bed warm enough? Do you need another blanket or pillow?” She just shook her head without looking at him. “I will leave you to rest then.” He kissed her head. “Je t’aime, ma soeur. Bon nuit.”  
Before he walked out the door, he heard a small, “Thank you for talking to me.” He turned back to her and she was looking at him. Her sadness still heavily enveloped her, but her frown was not as deep. “Claire, Bree and Marsali, they barely made a sound when they would come in today. Thank you for talking to us.” She put her hands over stomach. “He was kicking like crazy, he liked it too.”  
Hearing her simply speak made him tear up. “You are very welcome, Skylar. I will continue talking to you, and him, in the morning.” He turned to leave again but she stopped him once more.  
“Could you maybe sleep in here tonight? I don’t wanna be by myself.” Fergus heard her voice breaking at the request and his heart cracked.  
“Of course. Whatever will make you happy.”  
“Thank you, mon frere.” She gave him a half smile.  
He swallowed back tears and told her, “I just need to fetch some things and tell Marsali. Then I will return at once.”  
She nodded. “Okay.”  
He gave a kind smile and left, so he could hurry back.  
When he was gone, she looked down at her belly and spoke to it. “I love you so much, my little one. You are my reason for living. I will never leave you. You will never be without me. I love you with more than all of my heart and soul. Mo aon agus a-mhàin, mo bheannachd, solas mo bheatha.”  
Over the next two weeks, Skylar pushed herself to stay busy. Claire pleaded with her to stay off her feet as much as possible as she was approaching the end of her ninth month, but she refused. The continuous activity forced her mind to focus on other things, even for just mere minutes at a time.  
Despite her restlessness, her depression never lessened. She was still only eating the bare minimum, she went to bed early and slept late, and she would hardly talk or engage anyway with anyone other than Fergus. She clung to Fergus when he was around and he tried to be as much as he could. He slept almost every night in the cabin with her and when he did have to be at home, he would come back very early the next day to be there well before she woke up. Marsali would come with him when she could, but more often stayed at their own cabin to take care of Germain. Fergus felt guilty leaving her so much but she understood well that his sister needed him more than she did at this time, and that his being there would help her begin to move past this, practically, time of grief faster than if he wasn’t.   
Skylar still wouldn’t respond much when he would talk to her, but he never let up since he knew she was listening. The rest of the family wouldn’t interfere when they were together. As much as they wanted to help her as well, they needed to follow her pace, and if Fergus was the one that made her feel the most comfortable, they wouldn’t dare get in the middle of it. He also assisted her on all the chores that she insisted she do, including grooming the horses, like they were doing at this particular moment.  
Skylar was brushing Jamie’s horse when she suddenly let out a groan. She closed her eyes and put hand on stomach. This had been happening on and off all day and they were getting harder to hide as they got stronger.  
Fergus, who was working on Claire’s horse, heard it and whipped his head around to her. “Are you alright, Skylar? Are you hurt?”  
“Fine,” she told him, so hushed that he only knew she spoke because he saw her lips move. She then went back to brushing like nothing happened.  
“Is it the baby? Are your pains beginning?”  
She shook her head, then dropped her brush and went to grab the feed for the horses.  
Roger saw her cross and called out to offer, “Let me help ye wi’ that, Skylar.” He put down the bucket of scraps he was throwing to the pigs and goats, and jogged to her. But before he could touch one of feeds, she picked up both pails of it and turned sharp on her heel, going back to the horses and not giving him a glance.  
Roger watched her go and sighed in frustration. He turned to Brianna who was sitting by the fire pit holding Jemmy, and gave her a look that he didn’t know what to do anymore.  
“We need to get some more water from the stream, we’re nearly out,” Claire stated from her garden. She had been in the middle of weeding and watering it when she realized there was only a half bucket left.   
“I’ll go get more,” Skylar said. Everyone’s head turned to her. That was the most they had all heard her speak one time since they got home.  
“Skylar, you’re going to give birth any day now. You should be on bedrest.”  
“I can do it. I’ll be fine.” She spoke very monotone and went to pick up two of the water buckets.  
“Well, yer no goin’ alone,” Jamie said. He looked at Fergus, meaning for him to go with her. Fergus understood and nodded, putting his brush down and moved to join Skylar.  
But Brianna spoke up quickly. “Roger will go with her.” She stood and looked at Roger, her eyes begging him to do it. He looked at Skylar and saw her back was to him.  
“Aye, I don’t mind at all. I’d be happy te,” he agreed.  
“I’ll be fine on my own,” Skylar responded towards Jamie, very sternly.  
Jamie looked between Roger and the girl, knowing what Bree was trying to do.  
“Roger will accompany you. That’s that,” he concluded. He, too, was not the biggest fan of Roger, but he wanted his daughter and future son-in-law to get along for Brianna’s sake.  
Skylar let out an angry sigh. She waited for Roger to get the third bucket, then stormed off, leaving Roger to speed walk to catch up.  
They walked to the stream in a very uncomfortable silence.   
“Yer verra fast fer bein’ the size ye are,” Roger said to her, trying to make some sort of conversation. “I-I mean, fer bein’ nine months pregnant. It’s impressive. I didna mean te imply yer fat or…”  
 _Christ, shut up, man,_ he scolded himself. _Change the bloody subject._  
“I can carry those for you.” He reached to take one of her buckets closest to him, but she moved it to her other hand to carry both.  
“I’m pregnant, not missing an arm. I can carry a goddamn empty bucket.”  
She sped up her walking to get ahead of him and neither spoke the rest of the way.  
At the stream, she lowered herself by the water and filled her two while Roger stood a number of feet back from her with his. She turned to him to say, “I need the third one.”  
He just looked at her for a second then said, “Are you ever goin’ te give me a chance?”  
“Excuse me?”  
“Ever since I came back ye’ve just been givin’ me the cold shoulder, refusin’ te acknowledge my presence and avoidin’ me every time ye can.”  
“Omigod,” she muttered under her breath and turned back to the water.  
Roger went off, clearly wanting to say this for a long time and he couldn’t stop it now that he started. “I understand that ye were hurt when Ian left ye and that ye’d rather have him here and not me. But you cannot change what has happened. It’s not my fault that he decided te trade himself te the Mohawk. He made that decision on his own. I did not tell him te do it. Ye need to accept that he’s made his choice and pretendin’ I don’t exist is not going te bring him back.”  
She was biting her lip so hard to keep from attacking him, out of Brianna’s love for him, it could have split in half. The fists she was making to keep herself under control were so tight they were shaking and all she could see was red. “Shut up!” she finally screamed, not able to take it anymore. She took a moment to breathe before standing and facing him. She struggled not to yell because that would have just made her start sobbing. So she gritted her teeth and pressed one, though a few tears managed to escape. “I’m well aware that it was his own choice. I know all too well that he is gone and is never coming back. But just because I do know that, does not mean I am anywhere close to being the least bit okay with it. I don’t blame you, specifically you, Roger, as a person, for what he did. But you are why he’s gone. And I already think about him every second of every fucking day, wondering what he’s doing, is he okay, is he being treated well, is he hurt.” She paused to breathe again and swallowed to stop her voice kept cracking more. “I think about how I’m carrying his child and he will never know that. And whenever I see you, it’s just shoved in my face again and again where he is and why, and that you will get everything he should’ve had also. So, I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. But I am not sorry for being angry that _you_ get to raise _your_ child with _your_ wife, and _I’m_ alone.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes, then went to reach for the buckets. But she stopped and her eyes went wide. She shook her head, saying, “Oh no, no, no. Not now. Please God, not right now.”  
Roger took a couple steps towards her. “Are you alright?”  
She lifted up her skirt just enough to see a large wet spot made in the dirt beneath her. “My water broke. Ahhhh!!” A contraction hit her and she doubled over, gripping her stomach.   
“Oh, Jesus Christ,” Roger murmured to himself. “Uhhhh…” He looked over his shoulder, hoping somehow someone would be there.  
“AHHH!” she cried again.   
“Okay, we need te get ye te Claire. Can ye walk?” She looked up at him almost to say ‘are you serious?’ “Stupid question, right.” He decided he needed to pick her up and he held tight around his neck, still crying out in agony. He went as fast as he could carrying her back to the cabin. “Claire!!” he cried when they got close. “Claire!!”  
“What happened?” Jamie exclaimed when they got onto the land.   
“She’s in labor.”   
“Get her inside, on the bed, now! We need all the blankets we can find,” Claire ordered. Everyone did as they were told and Claire went inside with Roger.  
He placed her on the bed and stepped back. Claire helped get Skylar out of her dress, keeping her in her shift.  
“Skylar, you’re going to be alright. I know it hurts a lot, but trust me, you’re going to be fine,” she was saying to the screaming soon to be mother, trying to calm her.  
“Fuuuuuuuuuuck!!!” she screamed. “Why aren’t epidurals a thing yet?! I want a needle in my spine now!”  
Jamie, Bree and Fergus rushed in with the blankets and Claire prepared the bed for the delivery.   
Every second of her labor seemed to last an hour, so the eight full hours of it felt like an eternity.  
Everyone around her was doing everything they could to make her as comfortable as possible. Brianna offered herself as the one for her to lean against as Skylar had been for her and led her through the same breathing and exercises she had done when she was giving birth. Jamie and Fergus took turns as her punching bag, not flinching when she would hit or squeeze them to work through each contraction that were only getting more intense. Roger just stood silently off to the side, knowing that anything he tried to do would not be appreciated or wanted by her.   
But through the seemingly never ending blinding pain, the only thing on Skylar’s mind was that Ian wasn’t there, and that knowledge hurt more than the contractions.  
“Alright, Skylar, you have to start pushing,” Claire announced when, at last, it was time. Brianna and Fergus brought her to the bed and stood on her sides to helped her sit up. They held onto her back and arms to support her. “On three, 1, 2, 3.”  
Skylar pushed as long and as hard as she could, screaming all the while. She fell back, trying to catch her breath. When the next contraction came, Fergus and Bree helped her back up. “Again,” Claire said. “1, 2, 3.” She felt like her lower region was on fire and she was going to be torn in two. Again, she tried to breathe. “You’re doing fantastic, Sky. But we need to go again, 1, 2, 3, push.” She pushed for 45 minutes before she wanted to give up. She felt hot and exhausted. Large tears were flowing endlessly down her face, but not just from the pain of the delivery.   
“I can’t do it anymore. I can’t. I can’t do this,” she said almost indistinctly through sobs.   
“You can, Skylar. You can do this. I did it, remember? You’re almost there. Just think about your baby. You’re going to meet your baby so soon,” Bree said, trying to encourage her.  
“I can’t, I can’t do this. I can’t without Ian. I can’t do this without him. I can’t raise this baby alone. I can’t. I need Ian. I need him. I need Ian here with me.” Everyone was quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say. Suddenly, Roger came forward from the wall where he was with Jamie. He took Fergus’ spot and knelt next to her, holding her hand tight.  
“Ye are _not_ alone,” he told her, firmly. “Ye will _never_ be alone, ye hear me? Ye are surrounded by people who love ye and care about ye and will do whatever they can te help ye raise this baby. We are all here for ye and yer child, whatever you need. Ye are not doing this alone. We’re all here and goin’ nowhere, I promise ye.”  
She stared at him and the look he gave her told her he meant every word. Still crying heavily, she looked at Claire and nodded.  
“Alright,” Claire said. “Just a few more. On three, 1, 2, 3. Now!”  
After close to two hours of pushing, Skylar and Ian’s son was born. Claire cleaned him and wrapped him, then brought him back to Skylar.  
“Congratulations, Mum,” she told her with a huge smile. “You have a beautiful healthy little boy.”  
Skylar took her baby in her arms and looked at him. She could already see some of Ian’s features in him as well as tiny tufts red hair on his head, which only made fresh tears sting her tired eyes. But they were mixed with tears of utter joy and powerful love for this human she had only just met. She was laughing and crying at the same time, staring down at her child with a smile of complete adoration.  
“He’s so sweet,” Brianna commented.  
“He’s perfect,” she said back. She looked up when she heard footsteps and saw Roger about to walk out the door. “Where are you going?” she called to him.  
He froze for a moment and slowly turned back to her. “I, uh, I-I thought ye wouldn’t want me here right now, so I was goin’ te-”  
“You promised me that you _all_ would be there for me and support me. You meant that, right? _All_ of you?”  
He gave her a small smile. “Aye, I did.”  
“Then you’re not going anywhere.” She looked back at her son and Roger walked back to the group. Brianna smiled at him as he stood next to her, holding her hand.   
Claire sat next to her on the bed and asked, “What are you going to name him?”   
“Um,” she looked up at Bree, remembering their discussion, “I think I’m gonna go with Oliver.” She looked at everyone around her. “Oliver Ian Murray.”  
“That’s a lovely name, darling,” Claire told her, running her fingers through Skylar’s hair.  
“And ye want te give him the surname Murray?” Jamie wanted to confirm.  
“Of course. It’s his father’s name, and mine as well. I want te keep it. I want people to know me as Mistress Murray, not Miss Fraser. Ian is my husband, whether he’s here or not. My name is Murray, and our son’s is too. It’ll also help make people believe he was born in wedlock.” She looked back at her baby in her arms. “Hello, my love,” she spoke to him. “Hi, sweet Oliver. I’m your mom. Oh, I’m so happy to finally meet you.”   
After Fergus had brought Marsali and Germain over, he went back out to stealthily bring Murtagh as well. Lizzie had also joined the crowd with Jemmy, and everyone was overly happy and delighted to welcome the newest member of the family to the Ridge.   
After they each had a chance to hold Oliver, they decided it was time to let the new mother and son be on their own for a little while.   
When they were alone, she said to him, “I know you’re wondering where your dad is. He can’t be here right now. But he loves you. My God, does he love you. And I can’t wait to tell you all about him one day.”

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With two new infants, space was running out at Fraser’s Ridge. Brianna, Roger, and Jemmy were living in the cabin along with Skylar and Ollie, the name Skylar had taken to calling him. All the while Jamie and Claire had been staying in one of the shelters. “Cramped” was an understatement, so Jamie set to work on making blueprints for another much larger house he would build on another part of their land. Once he found perfect spot, he wasted no time breaking ground. But, thankfully, he wasn’t alone in the construction.  
Just in the three months since Ollie was born, word had kept spreading about Fraser’s Ridge, and more and more people of all ages, be it individuals, pairs or families, were flocking to settle on it. From them, all the men able got hands dirty with building what Jamie was calling “The Big House,” and he was optimistic that it would not take too long before it was able to be lived in.   
The more settlers also meant a bigger audience to Ollie and Jemmy’s baptism that Pastor Gottfried agreed to perform.   
The day before it, Skylar was sitting on her bed watching Ollie nap when Bree and Roger came up to her.   
“Skylar?” Bree spoke first. She looked up at them.  
“We wanted te ask you somethin’,” Roger followed.  
“What is it?”  
The couple look at each other, like they were nervous to ask whatever it was.  
Roger continued, saying, “When we have Jemmy baptized, we’re goin’ te have te give him his full name, includin’ his middle names.”  
“You wanted Alexander right?” Skylar said to Bree. “Are you not going with that anymore?”  
“We still are,” Bree told her. “But, um...we wanted to ask if you would be okay with it if we also gave him the middle name Ian as well.”  
“We thought that with everythin’ he’s done fer us te allow us te raise Jemmy tegether, we might honor him this way.”  
Skylar didn’t answer right away, and Bree saw her sister’s eyes start to water.  
She started to backtrack. “Of course we know that that’s also Ollie’s middle name and if you want that special to him we absolutely understand. We would never want to disrespect or insult you or Ian in any-“  
Skylar stopped her. “It’s ok. You can give him Ian’s name. I would really like that actually.” She gave a small smile and chuckled. “ He wanted so badly to have his child named after him, if he knew two babies were carrying on his name, God that would just make his head grow, wouldn’t it?” Roger and Brianna laughed at the remark too. Skylar reached her hand out to Bree, and she took it. The two shared an affectionate smile, and Skylar turned it to Roger as well which he returned. The two had a silent conversation where Skylar cleared everything bad that had been between them and that she was ready to move past it.  
The sun was warm and shining the next day for the event. Everyone gathered in the field outside the beginnings of the Big House to witness it. The ceremony came and went smoothly, and after, the guests came up to congratulate the parents and fawn over the babies. Just like she wanted, every new person who came onto the Ridge came to know her as Mistress Murray and no one had yet to question where her husband was. Though she could assume they all thought he was dead because when they approached her after the baptism, they would look at her and Ollie with a hint of sadness and pity. She would just give them a polite smile and say “Thank you” for their kind words.  
She was still in a great deal of emotional pain and distress, and her heart was still nowhere near close to even beginning to heal, but she was no longer the empty numb shell of a person she had been a few months previous. Having all of her family around her, watching her home expand and fill with new friends, and of course and most important, having Ollie in her life who she loved more than she thought she could ever love anyone or anything, it all made her start to feel happiness again. The happiness started as a very small spark but as time went by, it grew until she was able to get through an entire day without wanting to curl in a ball and disappear. She hoped it would keep growing. She needed it to so she could give Ollie best life she possibly could.  
During the baptism’s reception, she was standing at a table, watching her baby boy as he slept in his bassinet. She smiled at him and stroked his cheek with her finger.  
“Mistress Murray?” a voice came from behind her. She turned and saw a young man standing there. He didn’t look much older than her and had straight dark brown hair pulled back into the same low ponytail every man wore. He was as tall as Jamie but slimmer, though he was the kind of slim that proved he was used to hard manual labor as opposed to just being skinny. “I wanted te take the time te introduce meself properly te ye.” He spoke in a Scottish accent. “I’ve verra recently came te live on yer father’s land and I am indebted te him fer the opportunity to make me way here.”  
“It’s nice to meet you. But, I’m afraid you haven’t given me your name.”  
He blushed and stuttered out, “Oh, um, excu-excuse me. My name is Benjamin Allaway, Mistress.” He bowed to her and she curtsied in reply. “I hope that ye will come te think of me as a friend and should ye ever be in need of assistance, I hope ye will think ye call fer me.”  
“Thank you, Benjamin. That’s very kind. I would be glad to have you as a friend.”  
A boyish grin crossed his face that he unsuccessfully tried to hide. “I’m honored.” He stared at her for a beat longer, then said, “I will, uh, leave ye te enjoy the rest of the party.” He bowed once more, then walked past her.  
Skylar looked back to Ollie until Bree came up next to her. “I see you met the new stud of Fraser’s Ridge?”  
“Excuse me?”  
“Benjamin Allaway. I’ve heard some of the girls giggling over him.”  
“God, this is gonna be like living in a high school, isn’t it?”  
Brianna laughed “It’s sure as hell gonna be interesting.”  
“Bree, could you do me a favor?”  
“Anything.”  
“Could you watch Ollie for a few minutes? I wanna go on a walk.”  
“Of course, but are you sure you want to go alone? I can go with you and have Lizzie watch him, or I’m sure Fergus or Marsali-“  
“I really wanna be by myself for a bit. I’ll be fine, I promise. I’m not going far.”  
“Okay, when Da and Mama start frantically looking for you, I’ll let them know where you are?”  
Skylar rolled her eyes, chuckling, knowing that was likely what would happen.  
“I’ll be back soon.” She touched Ollie’s head then went off.  
She walked in direction of the cabin, but didn’t stop at it. After ten minutes, she found the spot she was looking for. She recognized the tree by the moss covering exactly half of its trunk. She knelt on ground next to it and traced outline of I.M. + S.K. delicately with her finger.   
“Happy anniversary, Youngin’,” she said. “A year ago today you asked me to marry you that same night, and of course I said yes. I had been waiting for you to ask for so long. I wish...” she stopped to collect herself. She did not want to cry anymore. “I wish we had gotten to repeat our vows in front of a priest to make it forever, instead of letting that marriage end today. God, I’m talking like you’re dead. You’re not dead, you’re just...not here.” She pressed her hand flat against the carving. “Maybe you can come home one day. You can come home and we can be a family, you, me and Ollie. Please, Ian. Please come home.” She sniffed and wiped away the single tear that fell down her face. She took her hand off tree and held her hands in her lap. “I just wanted to tell you that I love you. I love you, Ian Murray, and I will be madly deeply wholly completely in love with you for as long as we both shall live.” She placed a kiss on her hand and touched his initials with it. She stared at it for another moment, then stood up and went back to rejoin everyone.  
That night, when everyone was asleep, Skylar sat in the cabin’s rocking chair with Ollie in her arms, and she sang softly to him, “Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly, lavender’s green. When I am king, dilly dilly, you shall be queen. Who told you so, dilly dilly, who told you so? ‘‘Twas my own heart, dilly dilly, that told me so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GAELIC  
> Mo aon agus a-mhàin – “My one and only”  
> Mo bheannachd – “My blessing”  
> Molas mo bheatha – “The light of my life”
> 
> I cannot believe that that was the last chapter of YotAS! It seems like a really weird dream. I hope you have all enjoyed reading it half as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm so excited to say that I am currently working on the sequel that will take place during seasons 5 and (the eventual) 6! I don't have a definitive date for it yet, but I can say that the first chapter will be up sometime mid to late April. I hope y'all will come along with me for the second part of Skylar's adventure :)


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